A special school board meeting called to hear the appeal of a student disciplined for playing a violent computer game involving his high school was canceled when four board members stayed away.The Fort Bend Independent School District trustees who did not attend said the meeting circumvented the district's disciplinary process.
Two trustees said they called the meeting because school district officials overreacted when the Clements High School student was punished. Board members Stan Magee and Ken Bryant said the special meeting could have expedited the resolution of the case.
Magee said district officials went overboard when the 17-year-old boy was suspended from school and placed in the M.R. Wood Alternative Education Center.
"I think we overreacted as a result of the Virginia Tech ordeal," Magee said Tuesday.
But a district spokeswoman said school officials cannot afford to ignore anything involving school-based violence.
"This goes back to Columbine. Ever since that horrid incident took place schools today have to take every incident that is reported very seriously," Fort Bend ISD spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson said. "And they have to impress upon students how serious this type of thing is. We can't joke about things or take things lightly anymore."
Read More
Send him to Gitmo!!!