Schools and the Private Lives of Their Students

Highland Park High School is in the news for all the wrong reasons.  For those not familiar  with DFW Metroplex, Highland Park is a very affluent community within the city of Dallas.  Locals often refer to the "Highland Park Bubble."  The cities of Highland Park, and adjacent University Park, seem to exist in a world and culture of their own.  As expected, Highland Park High School is one of the top schools in the state of Texas both in academics and athletics.  Yesterday it was reported that HPHS had suspended over thirty students from extra-curricular activities.  The discipline was not the result of anything that took place on campus, rather a response to something that took place off campus, after school hours.  The students attended a concert at a local club where there were reports of illegal behavior by teens.  Both alcohol and drugs were present, and witnesses reported seeing many teens involved.  This follows, by a week, the arrest of a HPHS athlete on a rape charge.  The varsity baseball player had attended the same concert and met the victim, and other HPHS student, at the event.

This raises the question: Can a school punish students for behavior that takes place off-campus outside the context of a school activity?  In other words: Do schools have the authority to discipline students for the things they do on their own time?  I had to face this issue personally during my years as a high school counselor.  My response was always "Yes."  Our school had a zero tolerance policy when it came to drugs and alcohol.  Our student handbook (as does the one for HPHS) noted that it was against school policy to even be in the presence of drugs and alcohol.  A student was disciplined after the first offense.  It was usually my responsibility to follow-up with the student to help them make better choices in the future.  Sometimes it involved alcohol and drug related counseling, but most of the time it meant sensitizing them to the dangers of under-age drinking.  If there was a second offense the students was asked to withdraw from the school.

I seldom encountered any resistance from parents.  In some cases they were not aware of the at-risk behavior.  I always tried to work in concert with parents, providing both resources and support.  If there was an objection it came from the student.  We were sometimes accused of running a "police state."  In the minds  of the kids; We, as a school, should have had no control over what they did on their own time.

One of the critical components for parents is a support system.  It's important to have adults who share our values, and concern for our kid's welfare, involved in their lives.  Teachers, counselors, coaches and administrators should be viewed as advocates for what we as parents are trying to accomplish.  I am not saying that every person in the education system makes our kids their top priority.  Like in every profession, their are some misfits, but until they violate our trust they need our support and encouragement.  It's a tough world and we, and our children, need all the help we can muster.