Student Suspended for Call to Mom in Iraq

Student Suspended for Call to Mom in Iraq

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) - A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said.

The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was ``defiant and disorderly'' and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said.

The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion.

Mobile phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, ``This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom.''

Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office.

``Kevin got defiant and disorderly,'' Parham said. ``When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days.''

On the Net:

http://www.mcsdga.net/schools/high/spencer.html


OK, now as a military wife, this makes me ill. When you have a family member in Iraq, or another place that is at war, you don't just not take the call, I could be talking with the president of the United States and still take the call. It is not easy for the troops in Iraq to just get away to make a phone call. This principle made me so mad, I wrote her and the assistant principles this letter:

I read an article online that said you suspended a boy for taking a call from his mother in Iraq, how appalling of you to do so. As a military wife, I completely understand what this boy is going through. We a family member is in Iraq, you don't have scheduled times to call.... you take their call when it comes in. This whole situation makes me sick, and you should be ashamed of yourself. Sometimes, we need to just let things slide.

Michelle Collins
Military wife of 10 yrs

Now, what I recommend you do, is visit the school website, and email the principle and vice principles to let them know what an outrage this is. No hate mail please, just let them know what they have done is very, very wrong.

Their email addresses are:

Principal
Olivia T. Rutledge orutledge@mcsdga.net
Assistant Principals
Alfred Parham aparham@mcsdga.net
Wendell Turner wturner@mcsdga.net