Enough With Idiotic, One-Size-Fits-All Punishment In Schools
It becomes clearer and clearer that the necessary qualifications for being a school administrator and maybe even a judge are a lack of judgment. There's a case out of Texas where a 17-year-old girl who's an honor student taking AP classes while working two jobs to support her siblings was thrown in jail for 24 hours and fined $100 for missing school. From the New York Daily News:
Diane Tran, an 11th-grader at Willis High School in Willis, Texas said she was often too exhausted to get to school in time.Judge Lanny Moriarty said he warned the student last month not to miss any more classes or she would be violating truancy law, KHOU 11 News reported. When she missed school again, he had her thrown in jail.
"If you let one run loose, what are you gonna do with the rest of 'em? Let them go too?" Judge Moriarty asked the TV station.
Tran said her parents divorced unexpectedly and left town, leaving it up to her to support her younger sister, who lives with relatives, and her brother's university education, KHOU 11 News reported.
Tran works full-time at a dry cleaner and weekends at Waverly Manor wedding venue, where she lives with the family that owns the business.
At school she takes several advanced placement and college-level courses, often staying up all night, a classmate, coworker and friend of Tran's told the TV station.
Judge Moriarty admitted he was using Tran as an example.
Of an exemplary human being, already at 17, if you ask me. Tragic about her "parents." Not how it should be.
The "news" stories on this are absent a lot of information. One here. Another here.
The video:
The judgement-free judge talks about "if you let one run loose..." -- sorry, but this girl is not "running loose." As the woman says at the end, you help a girl like this, who is, at 17, endangering her health by acting as breadwinner and AP student in the absence of those "parents" of hers.
via @mpetrie98
Truancy should not be a criminal offense. That's crazy! And just because the poor girl is late for school a lot, that is a reason to throw her into jail?
I wonder if this judge is just a bigot and doesn't like Asians? Or he's just an idiot who ought to spend a week in jail for sentencing a responsible young lady to one night in jail.
Beth Donovan at May 26, 2012 8:26 AM
Apparently the judge was light on the facts as well as judgement. But why was this even in the legal system? School is not a prison, or supposed to be any where near the judicial system.
Jim P. at May 26, 2012 9:08 AM
This is especially stupid considering that, being 17, Tran could legally just drop out. Is that what the judge wants?
Cousin Dave at May 26, 2012 10:00 AM
"School is not a prison"...an increasingly questionable assertion.
Lewis Lawes, who was warden of Sing Sing prison in the 1930s, wrote a book entitled "20,000 Years in Sing Sing," the number referring to the aggregate length of the sentences of those in the prison at any given time.
If we did the same calculation for the K-12 public schools...let's see...there are about 50 million kids attending public school. If we multiply by 12 and divide by two (optimistically assuming that only half of the time spent is wasted), we'd come up with "300 million wasted years in public schools."
david foster at May 26, 2012 10:16 AM
Sigh. I'm not sure what kind of example this judge s trying to make of her. That if you are responsible and do the right thing but are having a hard time, you will do time? Kids who really are running loose aren't going to care about a night in jail. Kids like Tran are going to have it reinforced that the adults around them are at best worthless and at worst actively out to get them.
Since she's going to go to jail for being late for school, she might as well just take the day off and get more sleep.
MonicaP at May 26, 2012 11:37 AM
so... the parents FLAKE and the judge goes after the only person he can find, huh.
If there is a silver lining, it's that her notoriety may get her some more support, to help the sibs get through. The parents need to get a grip on their worthlessness and re-engage...
although maye the sibs are better off alone.
SwissArmyD at May 26, 2012 12:11 PM
Fuck you, Lanny Moriarty. You're not worthy of the title of judge, since you are clearly incapable of intelligent judgement.
My god, this girl's still legally a minor, a child. Abandoned, working her ass off, apparently the sole support of her siblings... sure, there are some kids who deserve jail time, but she is about the least deserving example I can think of. Here's a case where the state SHOULD be helping, where monetary aid would go to extremely good use, maybe some mentoring / babysitting, if only for the younger sister... I shudder to say "foster home", as we all know how hit or miss that can be, and apparently some private citizens are providing a home while she works for them... but I digress, the state SHOULD be helping, help is badly needed and deserved and instead it fucking throws her in jail.
This makes me so mad. So I repeat, fuck you Moriarty. And fuck you again.
YTS at May 26, 2012 12:25 PM
For whatever good it'll do there's a petition at change.org.
Googling for "Lanny Moriarty texas" brings up his office address, phone, and a 2009 ethics violation that cost him a $2800 fine.
Scott_K at May 26, 2012 12:50 PM
"If you let one run loose, what are you gonna do with the rest of 'em? Let them go too?"
Well.....
cbc at May 26, 2012 1:02 PM
The judge enjoys receiving email at terri.quertermous@mctx.org or lanny.Moriarty@mctx.org , and I know he would enjoy hearing from the general public regarding this issue.
I just know it.
roadgeek at May 26, 2012 2:11 PM
At her first appearance, which resulted in a "warning," the judge shoild have pointed her to Texas law which has several ways around having to be present for classes. Or the school administration could have done so at an even earlier stage.
IF, of course, anyone knew - even the judge. Some years ago I tried to find the law on a particular subject; even people who worked at the State Law Archives were clueless, not being legal professionals as such. Nor did the Attorney General's office staff, which was a surprise. A helpful staffer finally called one of the AG's lawyers...
John A at May 26, 2012 2:21 PM
Well I just signed the petition and the numbers of signers jumped from 2516 to 2545 in the 3 minutes for me to sign the petition.
Just for grins, I think I'll give his an office a call on Tuesday and ask the poor clerk that answers what the hell is he thinking?
www.mctx.org/courts/justices_of_the_peace/justice_of_the_peace_pct_1/index.html
Jim P. at May 26, 2012 2:24 PM
"Kids like Tran are going to have it reinforced that the adults around them are at best worthless and at worst actively out to get them."
----------------------------------------------
You mean they're not?
Are there actually state laws on the books which say that minors between 16 - 17 are required to be in a government ("public") school? What if they are in private schools or are home-schooled?
Has anyone noticed that the "public" schools have been systematically dumbed down over the past 40 years? I believe that George Carlin discussed this on a couple of occasions. This was no accident, it was planned as a means of population control by the US elite. Force all minors into "public" schools then slowly dumb them down into mindless cattle....as in an american version of "soviet citizens".
One of the solutions to this problem is to force the elite run state government to dissolve the "public" schools. No, really, do it for the children. Do you want kids who think for themselves, or do you want a psychologically brainwashed slave?
I know, I know, everyone else tells you that it's good to force them into 12+ years of mentally and physically abusive warehouses. After all, most of you went through the phalanx of bullies and mindless bull$hit that you want to put your kids through.
Do you really want to educate your kids? Put them in private schools. Can't afford it? Well, if the "public" schools are not there anymore, there's no justification for the state to get so much money out of your back pocket.
Do it for the chiiiiiilllldren.
SM777 at May 26, 2012 5:02 PM
Moriarty, eh? Well he's sure as shit no Sherlock when it comes to understanding cases.
It's a sad case when the villians run the justice system.
Josh at May 26, 2012 6:49 PM
I do thing this girl has been done hard by.
Still I have some questions?
How common is this usage of jail for truancy?
How common is it for this girls school?
What is the judges history with this law?
In one aspect I can understand the use of this law. I do think schools need to be hard. You mess up, you lose. A basic survival of the fittest.
Yet, this girl is an exception. I can excuse her missing - she has good excuses. The problem is people except logic and understanding from the government. Many times when it comes government logic is not important it is the letter of the law or just doing the basics. Asking bureaucrats to think is too hard.
Yes it is my money, here is the proof. What! You still suspect it is drug money?
Help me! I need my inhaler, what I do not have permission. I used to. I have a history of asthma! Please my inhaler!
Excuse me officer I think I messed up. I have a gun in my car. I have a permit to carry it in my home state. When I came to this state I found out it has different laws. I want to make things right. Wait what are you doing why are you arresting me! I am asking for help not to be arrested!
I can find a thousand and more other stories.
As I keep saying common sense is uncommon.
John Paulson at May 27, 2012 1:23 AM
The petition at change.org is taking off. Nearly 6,000 signatures.
There is also a donation site, and it actually looks like the money will go straight toward helping Diane. $1500 donated so far.
Hooray for the grassroots Internet.
YTS at May 27, 2012 3:37 AM
*sigh* I keep saying it. The public school system is a terrible thing.
This poor young woman has shown herself to be more responsible than her own parents, more than many "real" adults. Here's hoping the publicity helps her. She is the kind of person that a public "safety net" is supposed to be for.
The Original Kit at May 27, 2012 7:35 AM
I want to know why no one is putting her "parents" in jail.
Steve Daniels at May 27, 2012 9:06 AM
I want to know why the judge is not being impeached.
MarkD at May 27, 2012 4:32 PM
My god. Now over 27,000 signatures on the petition and $32,000 in the donation fund!
YTS at May 28, 2012 3:35 PM
Well the fund is over $100K and the petition over 252,100 signers and the judge dropping the charges.
I think that is a nice days work.
Jim P. at May 30, 2012 7:47 PM
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