Girl, 12, suspended four months for gym wall graffiti

[Ptarmigan]

I did. In high school, I got caught writing on a desk with a marker. The punishment: clean the desk, and serve detention for a week. Guess what: I never wrote on desks again.

You bad boy! What did you write on the desk? I've seen pretty crazy stuff written on desks.

[gtalum]

You bad boy! What did you write on the desk? I've seen pretty crazy stuff written on desks.

that's me. The "bad boy" who went to Catholic high school and wears khakis and a polo shirt everywhere I go.

I don't even remember what I wrote, to tell the truth.

[Beam]

I believe it's entirely too harsh. Massive overkill and abuse of power. This wasn't even real graffiti, it was three words written on a gym wall with a bloody marker. Back in my middle school days, you would have been made to clean it up, you would have gotten an evening's detention, and during said detention forced to write "I will not mark on the walls" or something to that effect on the blackboard several hundred times. No one went insane, no one suspended you, you got a due punishment for breaking the rules, and the next day things were back to normal.

This is very extreme, borderline sick. Are you telling me that writing "I love Alex" with a sharpie is at the same rung on the ladder as terrorist activity, drug abuse, and assault? You've got to be kidding me! What's next? Is leaving a love note in your crush's locker going to be considered sexual harassment!? We did this sort of thing all the time in school, because we were kids. I remember being a kid. Apparently the folks on that school board don't.

I'm not saying what she did was okay, but it was hardly a mortal sin worthy of the same reponse as assault or drug abuse. Lighten up for god sakes. No wonder kids these days are always pissed off, what with people like that in charge.

[Derek Ortt]

one should NEVER write on the wall for ANY reason. That is a crime under the law, vandalism. The school district did go easy on her as they did not have her prosecuted. The school district though did teach her that there are severe consequences for committing a crime, which should serve her well later in life.

The crime she committed was the same one Michael Fay was famously caned for in Singapore so famously. She should NOT have received that punishment, but one that was severe, such as her lengthy suspension

[Ptarmigan]

one should NEVER write on the wall for ANY reason. That is a crime under the law, vandalism. The school district did go easy on her as they did not have her prosecuted. The school district though did teach her that there are severe consequences for committing a crime, which should serve her well later in life.

The crime she committed was the same one Michael Fay was famously caned for in Singapore so famously. She should NOT have received that punishment, but one that was severe, such as her lengthy suspension

Michael Fay committed multiple crimes in Singapore. He was a total idiot for that and in fact went to jail again. Now if the girl did it multiple times repeatedly or totally vandalized the school, that would be a different situation.

[Regit]

one should NEVER write on the wall for ANY reason. That is a crime under the law, vandalism. The school district did go easy on her as they did not have her prosecuted. The school district though did teach her that there are severe consequences for committing a crime, which should serve her well later in life.

The crime she committed was the same one Michael Fay was famously caned for in Singapore so famously. She should NOT have received that punishment, but one that was severe, such as her lengthy suspension

I can tell from your posts that you think the law is black and white. It's not. In many cases, it's mostly gray area. You can see this from the Federalist Papers all the way to recent court decisions.

State troopers don't pull cars for going 56 in a 55. It's illegal, but they don't do it. The law, in some cases, gives judges the authority to put people in jail for one month for going one mile over the speed limit.

Similarly, you don't treat 12-year-old girls like a hardened criminal. If we prosecuted every crime to the fullest extent of the law, huge numbers of the population would be in prison. Oh, and YOUR taxes would skyrocket.

[superg77]

one should NEVER write on the wall for ANY reason. That is a crime under the law, vandalism. The school district did go easy on her as they did not have her prosecuted. The school district though did teach her that there are severe consequences for committing a crime, which should serve her well later in life.

The crime she committed was the same one Michael Fay was famously caned for in Singapore so famously. She should NOT have received that punishment, but one that was severe, such as her lengthy suspension

Prosecuted? Shelby Sendelbach is just a young tween girl not a criminal. She was merely trying to express her love for a boy named Alex by writing "I Love Alex" on the gym wall. Such a romantic gesture should not be so severely punished. The article says there was lots of other graffiti on that wall as well and it's not like Shelby wrote something horrible and obscene.

[Regit]

I've seen this discussed on several forums/blogs. A huge number people think she should be punished severely or prosecuted.

One on the blogs included a picture, exposing her as a stunningly attractive young girl. Not one person on that blog agreed with the punishment.

An interesting glimpse into human nature.

[Ptarmigan]

I've seen this discussed on several forums/blogs. A huge number people think she should be punished severely or prosecuted.

One on the blogs included a picture, exposing her as a stunningly attractive young girl. Not one person on that blog agreed with the punishment.

An interesting glimpse into human nature.

Weird. Forums I go to, most think the punishment is harsh.

[Ptarmigan]

that's me. The "bad boy" who went to Catholic high school and wears khakis and a polo shirt everywhere I go.

I don't even remember what I wrote, to tell the truth.

Let me guess, you wrote, "I Love <Insert Any Girl's Name>".

[Regit]

I've seen this discussed on several forums/blogs. A huge number people think she should be punished severely or prosecuted.

One on the blogs included a picture, exposing her as a stunningly attractive young girl. Not one person on that blog agreed with the punishment.

An interesting glimpse into human nature.

Weird. Forums I go to, most think the punishment is harsh.

Well, by huge number, I mean about 10-20% of the people. To me, that's an incredibly huge number.