Should my 15 year old son be forced to go school when he is in danger?

[Wendi Dam]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? South Dakota

My son is 15 years old and got in trouble in June last year for possession of a controled substance. Since then he was put on probation and I moved him to an alternative school because he does not do well socially or educationally in a public school setting. Even though this is an alternative school it is a part of our public school district and goes by the public school rules.

My son came to me in the beginning of December after he failed a urinary analysis and informed me that he was an addict and needed help. I put him in treatment and he has completed it and done well. Since getting out of treatment and going back to school he has had some boys approach him to sell drugs for them. He refused and they said they would be looking for him and he would suffer the consequences. My son has been jumped after school by two kids and my car has been vandalized. I have informed the school and his probation officer of the problem and told them that I do not believe my son is safe there and that I was going to home school him. The home schooling has been approved but will not start until January 25th; the school and his probation officer said I had to send him back to school until then. The teachers have been very hard on my son and just today called his probation officer because he was falling asleep in the OSS room where he is stuck all day. The school decided to keep him in this OSS room with a teacher who is extremely obliviant on how to work with and act with a student who is having trouble. My son was just taken to the Juvenile Detention Center this morning for violating his probation because he was falling asleep. My question is .... Isn't against his civil rights to force him back into an environment that is not safe for him mentally and/or physically?

 

[Wolflmg]

Maybe ask his probation officer if he/she would attend his class with him, so that he would feel safe. Or is there a way the teachers can just send his homework home and then you can drop it off at the school when he has completed it?

 

[rmet4nzkx]

They can protect him in juvee

 

[cmorris]

My son has been jumped after school by two kids and my car has been vandalized.

This happened AFTER school. As such, why should he not go to school? The 25th is just several days away...

 

[Wendi Dam]

Some of the kids in this group do go to the same school. Maybe you didn't understand that these kids are drug dealers. Do you understand that whether my son is in school with some of them or out of school - if they want to hurt him they will.

Yes, the 25th is just a few days away however just today there was another incident in school. If the welfare of these kids were truly a concern of these "educators" they would understand that my son missing a few days in public school was worth making sure he is safe.

 

[Wendi Dam]

Maybe ask his probation officer if he/she would attend his class with him, so that he would feel safe. Or is there a way the teachers can just send his homework home and then you can drop it off at the school when he has completed it?

These other kids are drug dealers - if my son is escorted to and from classes he would have a huge target on him that he "narked" on these kids. The principle and probation officer told me that there is nothing else to do but send him to school even though the home schooling has already been approved. My thought is that missing a few days in public school is worth my sons safety.

 

[Wendi Dam]

They can protect him in juvee

You are absolutely right they can protect him in juvee however why should my son have to be locked up and treated like he did something wrong when he was doing all the right things.

 

[stealth2]

You are absolutely right they can protect him in juvee however why should my son have to be locked up and treated like he did something wrong when he was doing all the right things.

How is failing a urinalysis in December doing all the right things? I don't understand.

 

[BelizeBreeze]

Your son is on probation. The conditions of probation is a drug-free urine test and returning to school and actually attending. Falling asleep is not attending. Thus, his probation has been revoked and he is serving out his sentence.

There is nothing wrong or illegal or unconstitutional about your situation. So, instead of whinning maybe put the blame where it belongs.

 

[Wendi Dam]

How is failing a urinalysis in December doing all the right things? I don't understand.

He admitted to having a drug problem and asked me if I would get him help. His probation officer did not violate him for having a dirty UA he was just going to put him on house arrest for one month. My son is the one who decided to get help and get clean - NOT THE COURTS. So that to me is doing all the right things, going to AA, staying away from other addicts, etc. is the right things to me.

 

[stealth2]

He admitted to having a drug problem and asked me if I would get him help. His probation officer did not violate him for having a dirty UA he was just going to put him on house arrest for one month. My son is the one who decided to get help and get clean - NOT THE COURTS. So that to me is doing all the right things, going to AA, staying away from other addicts, etc. is the right things to me.

Color me cynical - he knew he was dirty and either he told you or his PO would.

 

[Wendi Dam]

Your son is on probation. The conditions of probation is a drug-free urine test and returning to school and actually attending. Falling asleep is not attending. Thus, his probation has been revoked and he is serving out his sentence.

There is nothing wrong or illegal or unconstitutional about your situation. So, instead of whinning maybe put the blame where it belongs.

First of all you are right about his conditions - and it was my son NOT THE COURTS the said he needed help and asked me to get him help. His probation officer was only going to put him on house arrest for one month for failing his UA. As for falling asleep in school - if it wasn't for the stress of worrying what these kids were going to do to him because he refused to sell drugs for them, MAYBE JUST MAYBE he would get some sleep at night and not be nauseated and have headaches and not need to sleep during the day. Remember I have already had everything approved to start home schooling him. Missing a few days of school for his safety really doesn't seem like a problem. I think it is pretty selfish not to mention stupid for anybody to think that it is ok to send a child to a place where he is in danger. I do not want to get a call that my son is in the hospital in a coma because these kids got to him.

As for taking responsibility - my son did that when he admitted to being an addict. As far as my whining goes - maybe if you were put in this situation you might have a more intelligent response. My son should not be forced to be put in danger when he is trying to better himself and notify the proper people of illegal activity. He is being punished for trying to do the right thing - how is that not violating him? A lawyer in my town seems to agree with me, so it seems my "whining" is a pretty legitimate thing.

 

[Wendi Dam]

Color me cynical - he knew he was dirty and either he told you or his PO would.

Actually he and his probation officer was on speaker phone with me and told me together. It was after his probation officer decided to just put him on house arrest for one month that my son asked for help. He came to me and said that house arrest was not going to do him any good and asked me to get him help because he was an addict. My son has started intense after care and decided to go to AA on his own.

 

[stealth2]

Toldja I'm cynical - you would've found out whether he told you or not, and he figured he was busted anyway.

 

[CdwJava]

What happened when the police were called regarding the assault and the vandalism? And of course he also reported the names of the fellows that tried to coerce him to sell drugs, right?

But, to me, it sounds like he is having other problems. His falling asleep in class (and, I'll bet, also failing classes) is not indicative of being threatened but of any one of a number of other issues - likely not sleeping at night or using drugs.

I'm interested to here what happened when the police were called concerning the crimes you mentioned.

- Carl