Editorial: Principals must have discretion

Tuesday, April 27, 2004 | 8:38 a.m.

Surprise and skepticism were our initial reactions in learning of the Clark County School District's proposed new policy prohibiting students from possessing common cold pills or other over-the-counter drugs without express parental permission. Millions of American workers, after all, have aspirin, antacid pills, cough syrup and the like in their desk drawers, lockers, jackets or pocketbooks. Many work places have first-aid cupboards offering such medicines for the taking. Is the school district overreacting to its zero-tolerance approach to drugs on campus?

It all depends on how the new policy will be enforced. We understand why the school district is considering the policy. Unlike most adults in the work place, students cannot always be expected to follow the directions for taking medicine. The district is having to deal with students becoming ill from overdosing on ordinary, nonprescription medicine.

The proposed new rule would prohibit students from possessing any nonprescription medicine without parental permission. And under all circumstances it would prohibit sharing or selling such medicine. The penalty for violating the rule would be suspension.

As the new rule was originally proposed, students violating it would have been automatically expelled. Fortunately, that was changed to suspension, pending an investigation. We support what the district is trying to accomplish. But we hope the School Board makes it doubly clear to school principals that they have discretion in deciding whether to suspend a student. In the case of a second offense or that of a student selling or passing out cough or headache medicine, suspension could be warranted. Suspension would be a harsh penalty, though, for simply taking an aspirin, even if taken without a note from home.