Was it because of the over zealous War on Drugs? Maybe. What should have been a minor blip in these kids' lives - a misdemeanor at best, turned into a tragedy when Hayden Long, a 16-year-old sophomore quarterback, was found dead Monday at his home in Geneva, Ohio. It was suicide.
Count me in with those who are outraged. Yes, we need order in our schools and no we don't need inebriated students at a school dance; but lets make the punishment fit the crime. There's no way a small amount of pot, rolling papers, a pipe or even a bong is justification for telling these students they have ruined their academic careers and their lives. Apparently, the interrogation session went on for quite a while and it was intense. One of these teenagers believed these anti-drug zealots and killed himself over an effing misdemeanor? Oh, I'm sure the powers that be will come out and say the popular sophomore quarterback had "mental issues" and there is "more to it" and all manner of clap trap. The fact remains is that life should have gone on for all these students after being caught high, but it didn't. The adults in the room failed the children that were within their care.
Hayden Long's friend, Hank Seigal cares enough to share his thoughts on the matter:
I like the line that says "It's cute you think you know your rights." Unfortunately, it is entirely possible that these teenagers' rights weren't violated under Ohio law. If none of those students at the dance requested a lawyer, then the school administrators and police officer could interrogate the students as much as they wanted. Ohio law permits interrogating children without parental consent, knowledge or presence. When I went to high school in Ohio, school administrators could use a request for legal representation as the basis for expulsion, but I don't know the exact circumstances in Geneva, Ohio and my high school experience is over 30 years ago. I had hoped it got better. I guess not.
In 1967ish my older brother had a friend caught with a joint or two (not even close to an ounce) of pot. Between school officials, police and the court system they destroyed his life. By that I mean prison for years, denied the right to see his fiance when he got out. No job. No prospects and he couldn't leave town because he was on parole. He buzzed out of there as soon as his parole was over and I hope he was able to start over somewhere with a less hateful community. He only communicated with his family and they never talked about it.
Over forty years later and another small town is set to do the same thing to a group of students. Shame on them. If you have a problem with how the Geneva, Ohio school system handled the situation of a bunch of students getting high at a school dance, please, feel free to state your feelings on this petition.
10:46 AM PT: Trying to contact the Geneva School board or the high school is difficult. I think they are being flooded. You might be able to get through.
http://www.genevaschools.org/...