This isn’t just another story about zero-common-sense policies in the schools. It’s about how families can show zero tolerance for these policies by taking matters into their own hands.
Brandon and his girlfriend Andra attended the Caney Creek High School in Conroe, Texas. They are both asthmatic and they both use inhalers. The exact same inhaler. Well, one day Andra forgot to bring hers and she had an asthma attack. Now, Brandon could have told her, “I’m sorry, but as far as I know, the strange minutiae of zero-tolerance school policy may prevent me from letting you use my inhaler to alleviate your suffering.” Or he could have just let Andra use his inhaler. He let her use the inhaler, of course. “It made a big difference,” says Andra. “It did save my life.”
Next thing you know, bam, Brandon is arrested and kicked out of school for “delivering a dangerous drug.” It’s a three-day suspension pending the school’s decision on what to do next. And what they do next is decide to expel him. Sadly, these stories are a dime a dozen these days.
But I like the happy ending for this one. Brandon’s expulsion, or semi-expulsion, is not permanent. He can return to school next year. But that’s not the happy ending I’m talking about. Brandon says, “I’m expelled till after Christmas and I can come back after Christmas, but I won’t.” Instead he and Andra have decided to go the homeschooling route. They’ll do their learning at home. They’ve already learned one lesson here, that’s for sure.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.