No Good Deed: Middle school student suspended for opening door

Executioner · Post by **Executioner** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:59 pm

http://www.tidewaternews.com/2011/02/26 ... ning-door/

Published 9:31am Saturday, February 26, 2011

By Gwen Albers

COURTLAND—A Southampton Middle School student was suspended Thursday for opening an exterior door for a visitor.

“Students are not allowed to open the doors, and if anyone does, they will be suspended,” said Dr. Wayne K. Smith, executive director of administration and personnel.

A districtwide policy prohibiting students and staff from opening doors to the outside was recently adopted after a $10,800 security system was installed at the middle school, Southampton High School, Southampton Technical Career Center and Nottoway, Meherrin and Capron elementary schools. Riverdale Elementary had a similar system installed when it was built three years ago.

All of the schools’ doors are locked during the day. Visitors must ring a buzzer and look into a camera before office personnel can let them in.

Smith said everyone knew about the policy and its consequences. The middle school student was the first to be suspended for opening a door. Smith did not say how many days of suspension the unidentified student received.

According to an anonymous e-mail sent to The Tidewater News, the “A” student opened the door for a woman he knew, who had her hands full. The e-mail also indicated the student received a one-day, out-of-school suspension.

Pugsley · Post by **Pugsley** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 4:54 pm

Hell Get a day off of opening a door... I would have been the most courteous person around.

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:51 pm

Pugsley wrote:Hell Get a day off of opening a door... I would have been the most courteous person around.

Lol...

normalicy · Post by **normalicy** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:36 am

Honestly, that's how many schools are these days. The problem oddly enough is that a lot of people who didn't belong in the school keep sneaking in. I think the punishment fit. It wasn't too bad.

Err · Post by **Err** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 10:50 am

You have to enforce security policy, especially for schools. That person he knew could have been suspended from school property. Many institutions have very poor security policies and have paid the price. A local hospital recently had a patent die because that patient's girlfriend came in during the night and injected heroin in his IV port.

All schools should have a monitored single point of entry for students and staff. All visitors must go through the front office and receive permission and escort to be there. This is the world we now live in and we're going to have to adjust. It's not being discourteous, it's being smart in a society of lunatics.