Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em...

This is the story of a Providence, Rhode Island high school principal that enjoyed going behind one of her school buildings in order to take a little surreptitious smoke break.
Considering that educators are supposed to model good behavior, (especially in the presence of students) this would be a source of concern by parents and staff.

The bigger problem for Principal Elain Almagno is that it is contrary to Rhode Island's laws to smoke within 25 feet of any public school.

A sophomore named Eliazar Velasquez snapped six photographs of Central High School's Almagno breaking the anti-smoking regulations one day. Velasquez then posted the snapshots on the internet.

Fliers announcing the website (and the pictures) were then widely distributed around the school...

Velasquez was promptly suspended from school. As a part of the suspension protocol, parents are notified with a letter. In this particular case, it was noticed that Assistant Principal Harold Metts had made several grammatical errors in the letter. Velasquez circled the mistakes (As a teacher would do.) and posted the notice around the school.

Velasquez then got the ACLU involved.....

Joanne Jacobs and Number 2 Pencil have both covered this story far better than I could. To learn the gripping details of this tale of intrigue, law-breaking, and nerve, visit Joanne Jacobs here, and Number 2 Pencil there. -------------------------An Invitation: All writers and readers of education-related posts are invited to contribute to the eighth edition of The Carnival of Education. Please send your submissions to: owlshome [at] earthlink [dot] net. We should receive your contributions no later than 10:00 PM (Pacific) Tuesday, March 29, 2005. The Carnival midway will open here at the 'Wonks Wednesday morning. Get additional details about The Carnival here.

For the latest edition of The Carnival Of Education, (published 3/23, at Jenny D's) please click here.

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