Overreaction By The KISD Cops?

Katy Citizen Watchdog$

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Overreaction By The KISD Cops?

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NOTE TO THE READER: This commentary recently appeared in the Katy Courier in reaction to the Jennifer Silva matter.

The Jennifer Silva matter has dominated local news in Katy for the past several days. As a parent I have been very concerned about what I have been reading in the press and on the internet about how this matter was handled by our school police force. In Patrick Henry’s famous “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death!” speech Mr. Henry states:

“They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength but irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?”

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that it would be fair to equate our school police force to the colonial British Army, but I do have to say that we need to be concerned as parents when our police force has the right to interrogate young children without the benefit of having their parents present. Unfortunately, due to the 1995 Safe Schools Act (Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code) your rights as a parent have been greatly curtailed since Columbine. The Katy Zero Tolerance Group tried to get our state legislature to recognize parental rights over their child on school property, but unfortunately their efforts were unsuccessful. Now just because our school police have the right to do what they did, does not mean that we as parents have to be happy about it.

Tell your state representatives that you are unhappy about having your rights as a parent curtailed by the public school system. Tell your school superintendent, along with your Board members, that you are not happy with the current state of affairs. Folks, we can only change things if stop our apathetic ways and get involved in the process. We do have the power to change things, but you can’t make a difference unless you become proactive.

Chris Cottrell, Katy Citizen Watchdog$

Date: 02/17/2006