School Rates 'I Love Alex' Graffiti As Bad As Drugs, Suspends 6th Grader

[The Straight Story]

School Rates 'I Love Alex' Graffiti As Bad As Drugs, Suspends 6th Grader


KATY, Texas -- Writing "I love Alex" on a school gymnasium wall brought a 12-year-old the same punishment as if she had made terrorist threats.

The Katy Independent School District rated the message, written with a baby blue marker by sixth-grader Shelby Sendelbach, as a Level 4 infraction -- the same as for threats, drug possession and assault.

Only murder, gun possession, sexual assault and arson are considered more severe by the suburban Houston district.

For her punishment, Shelby was assigned to an alternative school from Aug. 27 through Dec. 21.

School district spokesman Steve Stanford said the district was just following a state law, saying it requires assignment to an alternative school for graffiti.

http://www.local6.com/spotlight/13640208/detail.html

[Eric J in MN]

1. Zero tolerance=stupidity.

NT

[Lautremont]

2. Maybe Alex is another girl.

I suppose that could result in a school lockdown 'round about Katy, Texas, along with some panic in the streets for good measure.

[Mz Pip]

3. Geez

When I was in second grade, a classmate and I wrote our initials in a heart in crayon on the side of the school. All they did to us was make us scrub it off. THey didn't even call our parents.

I can see where tagging an entire wall with spray paint might warrant some serious disciplinary action, but a fricking blue marker? Give me a break.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[DinahMoeHum]

4. Standing on a brick to kick a duck in the ass.

n/t

[MADem]

5. I know there are plenty of smart folks in Texas, and they need to stand up and stop this horseshit

This kind of crap is really giving the place a bad name.

We all KNOW what "they" were thinkin' when they wrote that law--they were going after the dusky punks with the caps on backasswards and the too-big clothes, with the spray paint cans...not the Billy Loves Susie crowd!

It's all so ... silly, the inability to parse, the inability to take each case as an individual issue. The "lumping" they do puts a kid with a plastic knife that came in his LUNCHABLES in the same category as a machete wielder, and a love note scrawler in the same category as a "SuchandSuch Gang is Active at This Location" tagger.

And I'll bet Shelby isn't feeling much love for Alex lately, either...!

[Lerkfish]

6. gee. I wonder if shelby is black.

[TheMadMonk]

7. bet on it.