Banned over drugs, students back after court win

[boulder]

Four students suspended last week for allegedly smoking cannabis at a sports carnival have taken Supreme Court action so they could sit exams this week and play in a football grand final.

 

Justice Barry O'Keefe on Friday granted an injunction to the Maclean High School students - a year 8 boy and two boys and a girl from year 10 - that temporarily lifted the 11-day suspensions handed out to them by the school principal the previous day.

 

Louise Goodchild, the chief solicitor for the National Children's and Youth Law Centre, said the students "vigorously deny" possessing or taking drugs.

 

The "draconian" suspensions were based on "the uncorroborated stories of other children", she said. "No child was found with any illegal substances, nor found to be smoking any illegal substances."

 

Four other students were also suspended for allegedly smoking cannabis in a rainforest behind the school during the sports carnival two weeks ago but are not part of the court action.

 

Ms Goodchild said the action was taken so the year 10 students could sit mid-year exams that started yesterday at the North Coast school.

 

The year 8 boy is due to play in a rugby league grand final during the suspension period.

 

The injunction restrains the NSW Department of Education and the school principal, Glenn Brown, from "preventing the plaintiffs from attending Maclean High School on 10 June 2003 and thereafter until further orders".

 

The department said in a statement it would seek to have the injunction lifted when the matter is heard today in the court.

 

"The department will argue strongly that its procedures were followed in the disciplinary action taken against these students and that suspension was appropriate in the circumstances," the statement said.

 

The department's school discipline policy states that principals "must suspend immediately" any student found "in possession of a suspected illegal drug".

 

The president of Maclean High School Parents and Citizens Association, Chris Gulaptis, said the suspensions were appropriate and supported by his organisation.

 

"The teachers are very concerned that their powers are going to be eroded and they won't be able to suspend anyone," he said.

[SoDrysBro]

thats some funny shit, i use to go to that school, i use to live in yamba what a place would move back there anyday,

[WantDaChronic]

all schools are fucked up...i used to go to Lambton High in NSW and in the space of 6 months they turned a school with a few problems into a jail with every student hating the school...They put 10ft barb wire fencing all around the school, any1 caught smoking was forced to go to the principal and was issued with a level 2 and parents were contacted (level 2 is basically a form u carry around and get signed by every teacher)If caught smoking or possessing pot isntant suspension, parents contacted and when u return u would get a level 3...

 

The best place to get an education while being in an environment thats pot tolerent is TAFE...atleast 70% of the people that go to TAFE and are aged from 16 - 30 smoke the herb and will be easy to get along with...+ the teachers dont give a shit and let u get away with almost everything