On whose authority?

| 29 Sep 2011 | 10:24

    To the editor:

    Who made Mrs. Cole, or for that matter, the administration of the Delaware-Valley School District, the arbiters of what parents should or should not know regarding their children? This (see page one, Nov. 24) is a prime example of the many times this district has taken it upon themselves to relieve parents and their children of civil liberties without their consent. A system without accountability is a dangerous system, and this district is just that ... dangerous. They do as they please and hide behind their pit-bull legal team, bought and paid for by the very parents whose rights have been denied.

    The criminal justice system has recognized that human bodily functions are well beyond their control, which is why each cell is equipped with a toilet. How can it be that Mrs. Cole feels within her rights to “ration” the use of bathroom facilities? Is the school district also rationing water to reduce the need to urinate? Is fresh fruit and fiber also off the menu? What else do we parents “not need to know”? I remember when we didn’t “need to know” that our kids were drinking higher than acceptable levels of lead in their water.

    So far, some of our children have been labeled as level one, two or three “offenders” in one classroom, where their bathroom use, access to the lunchroom, and PE time was “rationed” as punishment. Convicted sexual predators have free reign to use the toilet and exercise, but not these kids! Could this have deleterious effects on behavior?

    Little by little, our rights have been eroded. It starts with “gold cards” and ends with Ms. Cole performing forensic handwriting analysis in search of a “perp.” Mrs. Cole should join the CSI unit!

    They decide which children are deserving of an education, and which are not. Their “analysis” is always self-serving. It is easy to ignore the mistreatment of “those kids” but understand that doing so has ramifications for “your kids” as well. It’s time to vote for school board members who are willing to set appropriate boundaries for all school personnel and provide consequences for those who refuse to adhere to them.

    Carol Whitley

    Dingmans Ferry