School Punishments and the Jena 6

There is one extremely tough question to be answered in schools today. What is the appropriate set of consequences for teenagers when their behaviors move into the realm that is normally associated with adults? And where should the school punishments leave off and the criminal charges begin?

The difficulty in determining the appropriate punishment for adolescents involved in unacceptable behavior has never been more evident than the emotionally charged situation that has been taking place in Jena, Louisiana. The story is an exceptionally complex one.

The Story in Jena – Part One
The racial tensions in the community began in September of 2006 when a black student requested that he and some of his peers be able to sit under a particular oak tree on school grounds. Apparently there was an unwritten rule that the tree was a place for only white students to congregate. The morning after the student made the request, hangman’s nooses were found hanging from the tree.

The horrible symbolism from another era certainly caught the attention of the Jena High School administration. Once school officials determined who was responsible, the principal took a strong stance and recommended the three individuals involved be expelled for their actions.

However, even though the FBI and other investigators agreed that the noose incident bore all the markings of a hate crime, no legal charges were brought against the three students. According to law enforcement officials, the students were under the age of eighteen and had no prior records so the case did not meet federal criteria for charges to be assessed.

Then, inexplicably, at the expulsion hearing for the students involved, the elected school board for the district ruled against the recommendations of the school principal. The students instead were given alternative punishments and eventually allowed to return to school.

Intent versus Impact
When it comes to suspension versus expulsion, Leavitt Area high school principal Patrick Hartnett always used a phrase that made things crystal clear in this arena for me. Begin by examining the intent of the behavior then move on to consider the impact of the behavior.

Given this situation, the intent may have been debatable. It could have been truly a practical joke by students who had no idea what they were doing or it could have been a vicious and malicious intent to cause fear in black students who dared to ask for certain privileges.

But the impact was unquestionable. The nooses did create a vicious and malicious image that reminded everyone of the horrific lynchings of yesteryear. It also sent a message of confrontation to the black students involved.

The principal at Jena understood that and he wisely recommended expulsion. Unfortunately, though the principal was doing what he was paid to do, make decisions, the school board decided not to listen to that recommendation.

It truly was an enormous mistake.

Next Up – the story in Jena, part two.