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Florida schools refuse to allow parents to take custody of children after school hours

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Army5339, Aug 27, 2007.

  1. koa

    koa Active Member

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  2. Stringmike

    Stringmike New Member

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    Lightning Safety has become an issue at schools and colleges in recent years after a number of injuries and fatalities during school activities. These have usually occurred outdoors when coaches have failed to interrupt games or other sports. The guidance rules generally adopted are that once the lightning/thunder interval is less than 30 seconds, outdoor activities should be suspended and participants and spectators should seek shelter. These activities should only resume when no thunder has been heard for 30 minutes. These guidelines are simple to remember and pretty conservative.

    To extend these guidelines to all activities, including parents loading their kids into their cars and driving them home is a long stretch from their original purpose. As someone else has mentioned, you could go a very long time hearing thunder within a 30 minute interval in many parts of the country. Refusing to allow kids to walk to a bus or car is very different from restarting a softball game or swimming pool! Distant thunder does not necessarily mean there is an imminent risk, so this school policy is completely inappropriate.

    Mike (a lightning guy)
     
  3. viking31

    viking31 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Aug 28 2007, 04:07 PM) [snapback]503378[/snapback]</div>
    Dude? Debating with a teenager or young childless adult about the policies of a public school system is akin to spitting into the wind. But if I must explain my response you will see a parent or legal guardian can at any remove a child from school for any reason you desire, EXCEPT during a lockdown or some sort or emergency (whether it be a terrorist threat, sniper, severe weather, etc.).

    The school in question was in apparently lockdown mode due to severe weather. In FL and I assume in most other states when a school is in a lockdown mode the last thing administrators want is hundreds of parents rushing school grounds grabbing their children here and there. Child abduction by divorced parents and other persons (small children don't put up much of a fight) without the proper procedures is just asking for trouble. Bottom line is in an emergency the kids are safer in school and when dismissed in an orderly fashion.

    Rick
    #4 2006
     
  4. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stringmike @ Aug 28 2007, 04:28 PM) [snapback]503391[/snapback]</div>
    Michigan High School Athletic Association rules call for the suspension of a soccer match any time lightning is present, regardless of how close it is. The match can continue only after a 30 minute lightning free period. Being a lightning guy, you know there are no hard rules that lightning has to obey. People have been hit without warning from a clear blue sky, generally with a positive bolt from a distant cloud. The one I recall involved a cloud hidden by a large hill or small mountain. It's that sort of uncertainty that drives school officials crazy in our litigious society. Everyone expects everything to be 100% safe all of the time. I have to carry a $1,000,000 insurance policy to referee high school soccer games, just in case someone gets ticked off and decides to sue, but I digress. I agree that this was a case of over-reaction by the school officials.

    Tom
     
  5. eagle33199

    eagle33199 Platinum Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(viking31 @ Aug 28 2007, 03:57 PM) [snapback]503412[/snapback]</div>
    First, it wasn't a "lockdown" situation. You simply don't go into lockdown for lightning. Otherwise schools would be in a lockdown mode constantly across the country. You do suspend activities like outdoor recess and sporting events for safety, however. And as i said, i agree with the schools decision not to put kids on buses during a bad storm.

    Lockdown mode is used when there is imminent danger within the school - like someone roaming the halls with a gun. That wasn't the case here. Are you telling me that every classroom door was closed and locked? that the children weren't even allowed to go to the restroom?

    I don't understand the purpose of your argument about child abduction. In this situation, the parents had proper ID, the school had a list of guardians that could remove the kids from the school. In fact, thats what the finally ended up doing at 8:30 - checking parents off and giving them their kids back. Why that couldn't be done earlier was because of a bad call up and down the entire chain of responsibility in the district.

    Things were finally done in an orderly fashion, after forcing the parents and kids to wait for 5 hours. You have shown absolutely no good reason why the kids couldn't have been released into proper parental custody as soon as the proper guardian showed up with ID. In fact, as Koa posted, thats what the district is now going to be doing... why is that so bad?
     
  6. IsrAmeriPrius

    IsrAmeriPrius Progressive Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 28 2007, 11:20 AM) [snapback]503309[/snapback]</div>
    May I kindly suggest that you look up the difference in the legal definitions of kidnapping and false imprisonment. Hint, it has to do with asportation.
     
  7. Wildkow

    Wildkow New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 30 2007, 05:10 PM) [snapback]504584[/snapback]</div>
    He wasn't saying that it was kidnapping only that it should be considered kidnapping and I agree. Asportation is a crime of removing property and although parents do have almost complete control over their children I still don't believe any court in this land would consider tham "property" except for maybe the 9th Circuit. <_< :lol:

    Wildkow
     
  8. bhaynnes

    bhaynnes Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(viking31 @ Aug 28 2007, 11:16 AM) [snapback]503305[/snapback]</div>
    Luckily that wouldn't be an issue in California. Here, a parent can go to the office, sign the kid out and then take them home. Not allowing that, is the height of insanity in my humble opinion. Refusing to release kids to their parents is criminal, they aren't in a war zone, we are talking about a storm here. Luckily, it wouldn't fly here. The school could and would be hammered for unlawful detention.
     
  9. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Aug 30 2007, 05:10 PM) [snapback]504584[/snapback]</div>
    I don't know. Is it possible for you to kindly suggest anything? ;) :lol:

    But some of the kids were moved against the parents' and childrens' wishes. After the decision to release the kids was made, those children who walked or rode bikes to school were forced to ride a bus home - if a parent didn't pick them up. If I were in 5th or 6th grade, I would have been humiliated being forced to ride a bus - especially if it were a short bus :wacko: - all of three blocks to my house.

    Of course I am joking, and yes, false imprisonment would be the proper charge.

    I, a child-free person, know better than to interfere with a parent's attempt to reunite with their child.

    AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE RUNNING THE SCHOOLS. :eek: No wonder our schools are failing us. <_<