Two high school seniors have been suspended for ten days for having a lightsaber duel during lunch at their school. Also part of the suspension is that they aren't allowed to attend their own graduation.
Dear Principal Broderick,
While I understand that a lightsaber duel during school hours is not the best choice, I find that suspending the two students involved for ten days, as well as denying them graduation, is more than a little extreme. When dealing out punishment, it is vitally important that the intention of the people involved is taken into account. This is why there are so many different charges for the same acts.
Both participants were willing. The "fight" itself was rehearsed beforehand. The instruments used were toys suitable for ages 3+, made with the fact that kids are likely to hit each other in mind, which is why the toys only sting upon contact, and not leave concussions or serious injury.
The "fight" took place during lunch, which meant it didn't disrupt class. Heck, if I want to see entertainment of this nature while I eat, I have to shell out $60 and drive 1.5 hours to Medieval Times. As it was described, this "fight" was dinner theater.
You state that the punishment was so sever because people *could* have gotten hurt. Which means that no one actually got hurt. If someone speeds, the officer rights them a ticket for speeding, not for vehicular manslaughter due to the fact that they might have hit someone while speeding.
Further, these students have spent the last 12 years of their life working through the grades to reach graduation, and now you've taken that away from them for one harmless prank? And the prank was harmless, because as you admitted in the interview, no one got hurt (otherwise you would have said they did, not that they could have).
The most these students should have had happen to them is to get told by a teacher to knock it off. And then if they didn't listen (or maybe even if they did) a detention, possibly an in school suspension, at the most.
According to the news, there will be a school trial. Well then, since there is to be a trial, then the jury should be of their piers, those seniors who have show academic excellence. Although frankly, I don't think there should even need to be a trial, because you shouldn't have suspended them and then told them they can't graduate.
Sincerely,
A concerned citizen
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You can find the facebook page here.
The hearing will take place tomorrow, let's hope things go in their favor.
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As the news video didn't contain any saber battles, I thought I'd include some of my favorites that aren't part of the movie (The first is a commercial, and the second and third are both really well done fan made):
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