Loyola Blakefield. Gilman School. The Boys? Latin School of Maryland. St. Paul?s School. Calvert Hall. The Bryn Mawr School. Roland Park Country School. Notre Dame Prep. Garrison Forest School. Oldfields School. St. Timothy?s School. Maryvale Preparatory School. Friends School of Baltimore. McDonough School. Severn School.
Schools of this caliber may already have disciplinary policies that properly balance punishment with concern for a child?s development.
But the boards of these schools and other private schools in the area should review and consider what privileges they are extending to the privileged.
Examiner reporter Matthew Santoni has reported that students caught with drugs at Loyola Blakefield are not reported to the police ? unlike those at public schools.
Should privilege, including those privileged by scholarships, excuse students from responsibility under the law?
Should school administrations treat marijuana, heroin and cocaine equally?
Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran, who not so incidentally attended Loyola Blakefield, reports no law exists that compels private schools to report drug offenses.
But should whether a law exists matter? What kind of message does this send to young people ? that if you break the law, you can just transfer to another private school? Doesn?t learning to take responsibility for your actions help children develop into responsible and law-abiding adults?
Not to mention the fact that doing so is part of the mission statement of many schools. Loyola Blakefield declares as its mission graduating “young men who are open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving and committed to justice and integrity.”
Does avoiding punishment fit that statement? Children in public schools caught with drugs earn a police record. Parents may choose to fight to expunge it from their record, but that takes time and money.
Simply being expelled does not seem like equal treatment under the law, does it?
Some private-school parents argue that expulsion for first time offenses is too draconian, given the prevalence of drug and alcohol use among young people. Others say it sends a message that the school would rather get rid of you than help you learn from your mistakes.
Maybe?
Most of us can sympathize with bad behavior. Many of us are lucky we didn?t get caught. After all, we were all young once and lured by grown-up intoxicants. But we think there is a middle ground where both justice and caring for the student’s well-being can be served.
Don?t you?
Expelling students on the first offense, the policy of many schools for alcohol and drug violations, may not be necessary if students must report to the police.
Going to a private school is a privilege that virtually entitles one to membership in the country’s elite. For society to function, private schools must not insulate students from the laws outside their classrooms.
