Texas Honors Student Jailed For Missing School

[Zephie]

The controversial story of Diane Tran, a jailed Texas honors student, has sparked widespread outrage on the Internet.

Tran, a 17-year-old honors student at Willis High School, was sentenced to spent 24 hours in jail and pay $100 in fines for excessive truancy, according to CBS Atlanta.

<snip>

Tran's case of truancy is unusual, however, because she's a highly-successful student who takes advanced placement and dual credit college level course, according to KHOU.com.

Moreover, she said her parents divorced and moved away from the city of Willis. She now works a full-time job and a part-time job to support an older brother who attends college and a younger sister who lives with relatives in Houston. She currently lives with the family of one of her employers.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/345746/20120526/diane-tran-texas-honors-student-jailed.htm

[bluestateguy]

1. Is it really truancy if she is of legal age to drop out anyway

Another example of so-called "law enforcement" wasting the people's time and money.

[Mariana]

2. She isn't of legal age to drop out in Texas.

Texas requires school attendance until age 18 unless they've already graduated.

[demmiblue]

3. Lordy, this young woman has the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I read about her plight earlier today...

I wish I could help.

[immoderate]

4. Is it insanity -- or is it the confirmation bias that flags outrageous shit in the media...

and draws it to our attention? How many kids skipped school, justified or not, and didn't get arrested? This is news because somebody fucked up.

That's not to dismiss that this sucks for this young lady.

--imm

[Hippo_Tron]

5. Jail time (even one night) for truancy is unbelievably stupid

No wonder we have the highest incarceration rate on the planet.

[freshwest]

6. They could have just expelled her, instead of this. Her real crime was being homeless and poor.

If she didn't have to work, she'd be at school. She didn't enter the system as a foster child, which would have disrupted her life more. Sometimes they don't send a kid to school, but it's part of the system so it's overlooked.

And when I say homeless, she is not living with family members, not at home. Instead she showed initiative and worked and went to school at the same time. As the article said, she'd be there but too late for attendance. She wasn't running the streets have a good time.

Sounds like he didn't want to let her 'get away' which sounds pretty familiar. Putting the punishment for every truant who is out of control living with their parents and committing crimes while playing hooky.

Judge was grandstanding and taking advantage of the law to make an example. He needs to be censored and hounded out of office. As if this young lady didn't have enough to deal with she now gets this. And 'not a death sentence' he snarls. No, a slap in the face for someone he regards like 'the rest of 'em.'

PIg.

[Zephie]

7. Even being expelled is wrong in this situation IMO...

She's doing everything she can to support herself and two siblings because her parents were crap... Shouldn't they make just a little room for someone who is truly doing the best they can? The fact that she's still an A student after all this, even with late arrival times, shows she's not a lazy kid who is just messing around. I'm really sick about this one.

[XanaDUer]

8. So, she'll have a record now

won't that make it even harder for her to get a job? Hold Mother of Christ!

My jaw dropped when I read this. WTH? How about sending her to Social Services (those left, I suppose) to find a way to help her and her siblings.

The mind boggles.

[Alice Lee MY]

9. A very unconstructive judgement.....

She and her siblings are abandoned. She is trying to take over the parents’ responsibilities to take care of her siblings. Probably to avoid being taken away by the welfare/social workers and placed in? a home/ separate homes. They are sheltering at a relative’s place; so, that does not mean the relative has to take up the responsibilities of the parents. The judge knew of her situation; she’s only 17 and is doing 2 jobs (at least) to make ends meet.

By merely warning her (the 1st time) not to skip classes again; did he take into consideration of the rest of her siblings? What else did he do to help this girl if he felt that education is important? What did he expect her to feed the younger ones with what? Air? What has he done other than giving the warning and now putting her in jail for one day? “One day in jail is NOT DEATH SENTENCE….” but what’s the purpose and how effective & constructive is that jail sentence be? Very unconstructive judgement.

Even the commentators felt for the girl but the judge? If I were to put myself into the girl's position, I would do the same as she did and probably also drop schooling. Is there any other choice for her? Look at the girl's face. She looks so lost. The living of the family is above all, in her case, not by choice but by situation. Pray that someone or some organisation will be able to help this child and her siblings.