No Tolerance for Zero Tolerance



Problem with zero tolerance: the zero

By Kelvin Wade | | August 21, 2008 15:50

The new FSUSD hate-motivated behavior policy was adopted with good intentions. While I don't think the policy is a sign of the Apocalypse like some opponents, I fear it will end up doing more harm than good.

The zero tolerance policy says that 'behavior or statements that degrade an individual on the basis of his/her race, color, national origin, ethnicity, culture, heritage, gender, sexual orientation, physical/mental attributes, religious beliefs or practices shall not be tolerated.'

The problem with zero tolerance is the zero. It short-circuits critical thinking, obliterates context and prescribes a one size fits all solution to every incident.

Zero tolerance brought us the 10-year-old Ocala, Fla., girl who was arrested last year for bringing a steak knife to school to cut the steak she'd brought for lunch.

It brought us the 8th grader in Norfolk, Va., suspended this past June for attempting to take a Tylenol to alleviate a headache. The school wants her to have drug and alcohol counseling.

The wonders of zero tolerance arrived in a 5th grade class in Rancho Palos Verdes when students glued green army men to hats to support the troops in Iraq. School officials made the students cut off the toy weapons from the army men to comply with a strict no-guns policy.

But Kelvin, you say, these people are idiots. Now I'm not casting aspersions on anyone in the Fairfield school district, but having policies in place such as these can lead to unforeseen consequences.

The new policy treats students as if they're made of glass. It would ban trash talking and locker room talk. Some might applaud that, but such verbal sparring is normal.

It's common, especially for guys, to rib each other, often in politically incorrect ways. The new policy would render this bonding punishable.

This policy will definitely have a chilling effect on speech. Students should have the right to debate and disagree on gender, racial and sexual orientation issues without fear of running afoul of the policy.

It will have a chilling effect on humor. When I was in high school at Armijo, my brother Tony used to sport a vest with the words 'Rockin' Negro' on the back of it. People thought it was funny. But I don't know if it would pass muster today if someone were offended by it.

The policy teaches students to walk on eggshells around each other because who knows when a sensitive student combined with an overreacting school official will result in one of the ridiculous scenarios I mentioned earlier.

There's a lot of interaction that happens in schools that is just part and parcel of growing up.

Some have criticized the policy as being too vague. I think it's too specific. When I was in kindergarten and grammar school, there were signs on the walls that said things like, 'Be Courteous' and 'Treat Others With Respect.' That was enough.

Violating those principles wasn't difficult to determine. We didn't need a list of things we couldn't do. Teachers used critical thinking, common sense and reason to determine violations and came up with appropriate responses to bad behavior.

Now we disengage the brains of officials and have a zero tolerance policy with all the potential absurdities it may bring. Get ready. Peace.
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