While I certainly agree with the desire to ensure due process expulsion hearings are conducted fairly, I'm unclear on what Troiano's proposition is to fix the issues he brings up.
By his suggestion, every time a student is punished at a school his or her Constitutional rights are violated. Does the school district offer a lawyer to every student who breaks the dress code or listens to an iPod in class? And how is Troinao's usual suggestion of more administrative discretion, which leaves the determination of guilt and punishment in the hands of one or two principals, a more fair and just method to punish students who bring drugs to school or are under the influence at school?
The due process hearing seems to better offer students the rights that Troiano mentions.
I think the best thing any of us can do is ask at the next board meeting for a blow-by-blow account of how due process expulsion hearings take place. I also still firmly believe that taking action at the root of the societal problem is a better approach than arguing the policy.
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