“There’s possible negligence here if no one ever followed up,” Mr. Sternberg told the Washington Times.
Since the deadly Feb. 14 school massacre in Parkland, Florida, Broward County officials have been accused of creating a lax disciplinary climate in their drive to reduce suspensions, expulsions and arrests, an environment that allowed Mr. Cruz to act out for years without serious consequences.
Files obtained by the Orlando Sun Sentinel show that Mr. Cruz committed 58 infractions from 2012-17 at Westglades Middle School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, even though he was enrolled in 2015 at another school, Cross Creek, for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
After nearly every episode, Mr. Cruz received the same type of punishment — detention, an in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension for one to three days—which also went against district policy.
A repeat offender like Mr. Cruz should have been brought before the district’s Behavior and Intervention Committee to decide “whether this student is appropriate for another setting,” Mr. Sternberg said.
“When you look at the discipline data, it’s not progressive,” said Mr. Sternberg, who sat on the committee. “It’s a one-day [suspension], and then he does the infraction again, and he gets another one-day. There’s no progression of discipline whatsoever.”
As a result, “With the child, it does create a false sense of ‘I can do this and nothing’s going to really happen to me,’ ” he said."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/14/nikolas-cruz-violated-obamas-promise-diversion-pro/
Since the deadly Feb. 14 school massacre in Parkland, Florida, Broward County officials have been accused of creating a lax disciplinary climate in their drive to reduce suspensions, expulsions and arrests, an environment that allowed Mr. Cruz to act out for years without serious consequences.
Files obtained by the Orlando Sun Sentinel show that Mr. Cruz committed 58 infractions from 2012-17 at Westglades Middle School and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, even though he was enrolled in 2015 at another school, Cross Creek, for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
After nearly every episode, Mr. Cruz received the same type of punishment — detention, an in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension for one to three days—which also went against district policy.
A repeat offender like Mr. Cruz should have been brought before the district’s Behavior and Intervention Committee to decide “whether this student is appropriate for another setting,” Mr. Sternberg said.
“When you look at the discipline data, it’s not progressive,” said Mr. Sternberg, who sat on the committee. “It’s a one-day [suspension], and then he does the infraction again, and he gets another one-day. There’s no progression of discipline whatsoever.”
As a result, “With the child, it does create a false sense of ‘I can do this and nothing’s going to really happen to me,’ ” he said."
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/14/nikolas-cruz-violated-obamas-promise-diversion-pro/