Health scare may (does) reverse school's bottle ban

[The Straight Story]

Health scare may reverse school's bottle ban


(NECN: John Moroney) - School leaders in Lawrence, Massachusetts are re thinking a policy that bans bottles from the class room. The Superintendent put the rule in place after an underage drinking scandal. A health scare that resulted may change all of that.

The teacher's union in Lawrence says that one its pregnant members was hospitalized as a result on its ban on bottles. Because of that, the School Committee has now recommended that the ban be lifted.

The restrictions on bottled water, and other bottled beverages was put into place after six students at the high school's international academy were suspended when they were found to be drinking at school. The students brought the alcohol into the school in common beverage bottles.

http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/03/27/Health-scare-may-reverse/1238188344.html

Lawrence Schools Ease Up On Beverage Ban
LAWRENCE (WBZ) ―

The Lawrence School Committee has eased up on a ban of bottled beverages in city schools.

It has decided to allow students to bring bottled water only. Teachers are allowed to bring any bottled beverage.

It was enacted after two underage drinking incidents inside a school building.

The committee decided to allow bottled water after a pregnant teacher had to be treated at a hospital for dehydration on the first day of the ban.

http://wbztv.com/local/lawrence.high.school.2.969764.html

[ProdigalJunkMail]

1. no water fountains at this school?

i mean, i think the ban was stupid in the first place, but dehydration doesn't happen in an hour or so that you might be 'stuck' in the classroom and unable to get to a water fountain or cooler.

sP

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. One of my kids was hypoglycemic. We did ADA paperwork and she was allowed to carry

food, water, and a glucometer with her at school.

Later that year, when the principal there found out some students students were spiking their bottled water, he banned all water bottles. A few days later, daughter was busted for hers. When she tried to show the teacher her paperwork she was threatened with detention for talking back. We told her that she had an 504 agreement that overrode the new rule and escalated it to the ADA coordinator at the school, who was not sure what had priority, Federal Law or a local rule (doh!). A few days later the same teacher wrote my daughter for detention and confiscated her bottle of water. At that point we went to the school, met with the ADA coordinator and the principal, who backed up his stall, effectively saying that in his building he could ignore the ADA and any prior agreements. We remind then that the district had recently lost several ADA suits and that we would be glad to file one against the district and each of them as individuals. The kicker was when I asserted that neither the district or the NEA would defend them against that kind of suit. It made them all a little crazy.

In the end all disciplinary action was removed and my daughter was allowed to keep a bottle of water with her, but was requested to keep it concealed in her purse. The teacher refused to apologize to my daughter or replace the bottle of water. He was not at that HS the following year.