Horse riding teen suspended from school
HAMILTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - A teen's spirit week stunt has landed him in hot water. Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School Senior Dan Depaolis, dressed in medieval garb, rode a horse into the school's parking lot as part of spirit week.In the grand scheme of things, a two-day suspension isn't really that terrible. Hopefully he won't miss too much schoolwork (I don't know if he'd be allowed to make up work he missed, but I doubt it), and perhaps his parents (who supported his actions) might take the time off to visit colleges with him or discuss other future options. Whether it's warranted or not is a matter of contention - it's a matter of opinion whether the "stunt" was dangerous or not; the student and his parents plan to contest the suspension, hopefully what's best for all the students will come out in the end.What he, and his parents, thought was a good-natured stunt, the school deemed dangerous. Depaolis was suspended from school for two days.
What got me most was this little gem:
The father tells FOX25 the school compared the stunt to bringing a “loaded firearm” to school and that he and his wife were shocked to hear about the suspension, saying that the 1100-pound horse, named Pierre, would never hurt a fly.At first I was outraged, but then I realized that the school is exactly correct (although I doubt they agree with my reasoning). It is exactly like bringing a loaded firearm to school in that the student riding the horse was the one in charge of deciding whether it was going to be something malevolent or not. Had the student charged into the school with an 1,100 pound horse, someone could have been injured or killed - much the same as if he walked into the school and started firing. I'm sure the school just meant to invoke the standard PSH associated with firearms, however, in that anything they can't control must be ZOMG TEH EBIL GUNZZZ!!!
Wonder where he got his CCE (Concealed Carry Equine), though...
That is all.
9 comments:
You need the compact version if you plan to conceal carry.
A horse named Pierre? He is french! They are correct when they say he'd never hurt anyone, he might mount an attack, but end up retreating!
On a slightly more serious note, it is ridiculous this kid is being punished for this.
Clearly he violated whatever CCE permit he may have had by choosing to Open Carry.
tweaker
well, then gawd forbid he brought a 3000lb car to school. Guess you should be expelled for that, huh?
Dear God! He is wearing armour! Only the constabulary need armour; he must be planning a mass trampling!
How can the police effectively get their rapiers out to stop him with that helmet?!
We obviously need to enhance equine licensure and further regulate plate-armour.
Think of the children, what with all of the girls dropping their studies to pet the horse, and feed it, and say, "awww, how pretty." Insanity I say!
For all of the fuss and bother, the poor squire may as well have gone ahead and brought his lance.
And yet, there is a high school parking lot where 3000 automobiles with tanks of gasoline sit every day.
Can't ride a horse, can drive a car. Not very green of them.
Good God, a horse? That's awful. He should be arriving to school in a POS car with bad brakes driven by someone who is either drunk or high, like everyone else.
Do kids get suspended for carrying backpacks into school, because they could potentially carry drugs or a handgun?
Oh, wait, this is MA, where the school can't legally give you aspirin, but you can get birth control for free.
The school administrator is afraid the horse droppings will be give his office.
Good Lord.
I had a friend who used to ride up to my (public) high school at lunchtime whenever her (private) school was out and we weren't; her stable was only a 1/2 mile from the high school. We'd just hang out and chat while taking turns riding vs. walking.
The principle (who was no great fan of mine) just told me I had to go clean up any droppings in the parking lot, track, or football field, and I had to fix any divots in football field or track. Before any practices needed those fields, or before the beginning of the next school day at the latest.
Nor was this a rural area -- suburban Hampton Roads!
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