Zero Tolerance Raises Its Ugly Head Again

I just saw on TV that two children -- aged 12 and 13 -- were charged with sexual assault under a school board "zero tolerance" policy. A while back, I quoted Randy Cassingham (publisher of This Is True), whose essay on zero tolerance included this:

Again, as I've explained on http://www.thisistrue.com/zt.html -- my still-needs-to-be-updated ZT page -- I'm NOT advocating tolerance for REAL transgressions. Kids who actually sexually harass other students (and you can be sure that does happen) SHOULD get real punishment. But a 4-year-old pressing his head on an aide's boobies during a hug IS NOT sexual harassment, and how does anyone think it's OK to punish such a young child for that? And there are plenty of other outrageous examples on my ZT page -- and in TRUE's archives. This MUST stop; we're destroying our children -- the next generation of teachers, cops, and judges.

This case involved two boys swatting girls' bottoms during "flat-butt day"... the boys and girls swatting each other. Obviously, to the brain-dead MO-rons in the principle's office, this was outrageous conduct, so the boys were arrested.

Arrested. As in handcuffs, Miranda rights, the whole nine yards.

And six months later, when the case finally went to court -- courtesy of an over-zealous prosecutor -- the judge was presented with affidavits from every one of the girls -- every one of them -- leading the judge to dismiss the charges.

This is truly stupid.

Cassingham has a ton of other ZT horror stories at the link above. Go read them, and call your school board.