Help!! Suspended for TYLENOL!!
Question:
Wow! The educational system & legal system sucks! My only advice is don’t worry about it. The boomers knew that the authorities were lying about drugs. Now they sell out and make rules like the one you are dealing with. Good thing is only fools believe that crap. The term "Drug Abuse Violation" will become meaningless to the rest of the world. Maybe it will keep your son from having to deal with as many fools in his life. Allen My 13 yr. old son has been suspended for 5 days!! for having tylenol in school! Yes, it’s against the rules, yes, he shouldn’t have had it but it is being treated the same as if he had brought marijuana or cocaine to school. He also must attend with his parents a ‘follow-up’ activity. He had been assigned to a 3 full day substance abuse prevention seminar which of course was on the other side of town. Matt has extreme ADHD, a bit of Tourette’s and he has had diabetes since he was 3. Gee, are we being contradictory here by allowing him to draw up insulin and inject himself at home (a mistake could potentially be fatal), but he is a criminal because he had tylenol. It has been referred to as ‘possession’ and the letter that will go in his file states that it is a substance abuse violation. I am appealing it based on the fact that Matt’s disability (ADHD) could cause him to make an impulsive decision with absolutely no realization that it could be breaking the rules. Everything (except one line in the official Regulations) refers to illegal drugs. The quiz he took refers only to illegal drugs, the one page update/highlights card that they have in their notebooks mentions only illegal drugs. That is what they concentrate on and that is what an ADHD child would remember. He has so much familiarity with medicine and drugs because of his problems that without specific emphasis on substances such as tylenol he’d never make the connection. He had a headache – he took tylenol, the only thing he did wrong was that he should have told me so that I could sign the medicine in at the clinic. This is really going to be helpful since he’s been since a lot of the last 2 weeks and then he gets a week suspension, by the time he gets back he is going to be lost, even with them sending home work (he is also in the LD program for written language difficulties). He takes things very literally and has trouble making of things that are inferred. Also, everything says that with these children its extremely important that the punishment fit the crime. Great job Fairfax County!! Thanks for helping us reinforce proper behavior and response!! Even the guidelines from the US. Dept of Education, Office of Special Services and Rehabilitation state that ADD children have difficulty understanding different rules in different places. I swear, I am ready to scream!! I have other things happening with the holidays and all, nothing like good timing! Some people have suggested we go to the papers and the local TV station, but I’m not sure if Matt wants to do that. I’m not really sure how far to take this, but it does go into his records as a ‘Substance Abuse Violation.’ If anybody has any suggestions, documentation of other cases or information from government or other ‘official’ sources PLEASE let me know. I’d appreciate any help you guys can give me. You know it’s not just Matt but I’ve heard that it’s happened to honor students, juniors and seniors in high school – and it goes on their records! It just isn’t right to equate tylenol with alcohol or cocaine!! Thanks for your help (and thanks for listening!) Laurie O’Bryan Centreville, VA
Response:
Nancy, Please excuse the fact that I am answering your responses through memory, but my browser doesn’t pick up everything, and I found your response on Dejanews, but I like posting from Free agent. With that babbled out, let me get back to what I said earlier: I am amazed at the stupidity of these schools. They told us on the first day of school that there would not be any non perscription medication allowed at school. The only bad thing is, the idiots cannot give the kids tylonol for pain, or any non perscription drug without a doctor’s written permisson.
This doesn’t make the school ‘idiots’. There are large liability concerns here. They give NO meds without a doctor’s script. And they don’t call parents, so they can come in and do it. They cannot even if they have my verbal, written permission, and I go in and request it in person.
Ontario schools can provide a ’self-administration of medication’ form so that you can put medication (prescription or not) into your child’s lunch, etc., on a temporary basis. Larger amounts are kept locked up in the office and administered by the secretary, who must record the dose, medication, date, time, etc, and this only happens once the parents complete the necessary documentation. Staff cannot take the responsibility on themselves for medicating students because they are not legally protected if something were to go wrong. The only exception I am aware of is in the case of an anaphylactic shock reaction (peanut allergy, bee stings, etc.). In that case, heroic lifesaving measures are necessary in very short order, and a staff member may administer adrenaline from an Epi-pen to a student who is suffering a severe allergic reaction (even if the pen does not belong to that student) in order to keep them alive until EMS personnel arrive. In that case, the teachers are protected by the ‘in loco parentis’ statutes when their intention is to protect the life of the child. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So, I told the school and my daughter if ever needed, to call me and I will come to the school to give her anything she might need. A few weeks ago she walked into a wall ( don’t ask, she didn’t see a brick wall in front of her face. She has ADHD, what can I say). She hit it hard enough to knock herself down, and leave a big bruise on the side of her head. When she came home, she said she had a headache, and told me the story. I asked when she did it, and how long she had the headache. It happened EARLY IN THE DAY, AND SHE HAD A HEADACHE ALL DAY LONG. I was FURIOUS. It is hard enough to pay attention, but no one can with a massive headache. I wasn’t upset that she got hurt and no one let me know, I was upset because she had suffered with a headache, even if she hadn’t told them about the headache ( yes, I realize my daughter rarely speaks up when she is at school and hurts), but it hit hard enough to leave a bruise, and they had to put ice on it because it had started swelling, BUT THEY COULDN’T CALL ME TO LET ME GIVE HER A TYENOL for the pain?
Isn’t this abusive? Or am I just being an ADD mom? Tammy
It’s not necessarily abusive, but it is rather insensitive. It is difficult for teachers, too, as one has to make a judgement call as to whether or not a child is really ill. If there was a big bruise, then you should have been called promptly to see if you’d like to take your child home, not just see if she wanted a Tylenol. However, staff are often faced with the child who is always ‘ill’ right before a test or a class they don’t like, and the staff has to make a choice about how things will be handled. There are two students of whom I am personally aware that are in the 35-40+ days absent from school range (that’s two months of classes)! Perhaps you could inquire about what policy the school has for dealing with illnesses. If you can’t get an answer, then it might prompt them to formulate one. You might even volunteer to participate on a committee. Dave M. — "The only fish that are ever caught are the ones with their mouths open…"
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – So, I told the school and my daughter if ever needed, to call me and I will come to the school to give her anything she might need. A few weeks ago she walked into a wall ( don’t ask, she didn’t see a brick wall in front of her face. She has ADHD, what can I say). She hit it hard enough to knock herself down, and leave a big bruise on the side of her head. When she came home, she said she had a headache, and told me the story. I asked when she did it, and how long she had the headache. It happened EARLY IN THE DAY, AND SHE HAD A HEADACHE ALL DAY LONG. I was FURIOUS. It is hard enough to pay attention, but no one can with a massive headache. I wasn’t upset that she got hurt and no one let me know, I was upset because she had suffered with a headache, even if she hadn’t told them about the headache ( yes, I realize my daughter rarely speaks up when she is at school and hurts), but it hit hard enough to leave a bruise, and they had to put ice on it because it had started swelling, BUT THEY COULDN’T CALL ME TO LET ME GIVE HER A TYENOL for the pain? I just don’t understand why they would allow her to suffer from a massive headache, without even trying to give her some relief. Second handedly, Amy said that she had told them about the headache, but they told her that they couldn’t give her medicine for it, and to go back to class. That was the end of the discussion. When she mentioned it to the teacher, she just said that the nurse can’t give her any medicine for it and to go back to her work. Isn’t this abusive? Or am I just being an ADD mom?
Nope. It is not abusive. It is MORE than that. If she banged her head, and had a bruise, and complained of a headache, she may have had a mild concussion. This type of school behavior needs to be straightened out. Our schools call immediately for every boo-boo. They lost a large size law suit several years ago. Mark S. Probert Long Island, New York
Response:
Laurie, Here’s some additional ammunition. As per federal law, a child protected under Section 504 can NOT be suspended for more than 10 days as this constitutes a "change in placement." In fact, this same child cannot be suspended for more than 45 days for bringing an operable gun (no ammunition required) to school. Knives, other weapons and "drugs" (legal or otherwise) fall under the 10 day rule. If the school feels the child is that much of a threat, they are required to get a court order for "change of placement" to remove from the class. Sharon
Response:
Nancy, Please excuse the fact that I am answering your responses through memory, but my browser doesn’t pick up everything, and I found your response on Dejanews, but I like posting from Free agent. With that babbled out, let me get back to what I said earlier: I am amazed at the stupidity of these schools. They told us on the first day of school that there would not be any non perscription medication allowed at school. The only bad thing is, the idiots cannot give the kids tylonol for pain, or any non perscription drug without a doctor’s written permisson.
They give NO meds without a doctor’s script. And they don’t call parents, so they can come in and do it. They cannot even if they have my verbal, written permission, and I go in and request it in person. So, I told the school and my daughter if ever needed, to call me and I will come to the school to give her anything she might need. A few weeks ago she walked into a wall ( don’t ask, she didn’t see a brick wall in front of her face. She has ADHD, what can I say). She hit it hard enough to knock herself down, and leave a big bruise on the side of her head. When she came home, she said she had a headache, and told me the story. I asked when she did it, and how long she had the headache. It happened EARLY IN THE DAY, AND SHE HAD A HEADACHE ALL DAY LONG. I was FURIOUS. It is hard enough to pay attention, but no one can with a massive headache.
I wasn’t upset that she got hurt and no one let me know, I was upset because she had suffered with a headache, even if she hadn’t told them about the headache ( yes, I realize my daughter rarely speaks up when she is at school and hurts), but it hit hard enough to leave a bruise, and they had to put ice on it because it had started swelling, BUT THEY COULDN’T CALL ME TO LET ME GIVE HER A TYENOL for the pain? I just don’t understand why they would allow her to suffer from a massive headache, without even trying to give her some relief. Second handedly, Amy said that she had told them about the headache, but they told her that they couldn’t give her medicine for it, and to go back to class. That was the end of the discussion. When she mentioned it to the teacher, she just said that the nurse can’t give her any medicine for it and to go back to her work. Isn’t this abusive? Or am I just being an ADD mom? Tammy
ditto
Response:
I’d go right to your neighbors with this foolishness. You and your neighbors voted into power the losers who made this rule. If your town is anything like mine, your neighbors don’t know about this rule. Tell them. One good way to tell them is through the press. The school department or whoever made this rule deserves to be embarrassed about it, and I wouldn’t pull any punches at all. Oh, and leave ADD out of it. It’s not an ADD issue, it’s an issue for all parents. Laurie O’Bryan Centreville, VA
Good Luck, John Saunders
Response:
I’d go right to your neighbors with this foolishness. You and your neighbors voted into power the losers who made this rule. If your town is anything like mine, your neighbors don’t know about this rule. Tell them. One good way to tell them is through the press. The school department or whoever made this rule deserves to be embarrassed about it, and I wouldn’t pull any punches at all.
After re-reading the original message, it seems that the school board may not be at fault. As I a school trustee, I wrote the drug policy of our district. It had to conform to state and federal law. When it was abused, we often found that the abuse was at the implementer level. IOW, the person who was enforcing it was doing it wrong. Give the board a chance. There shoudl be direct and immediate contact with the board. IF THE BOARD IS INRESPONSIVE< then and ONLY then, go public. Boards are more likely to dig their heels in when they feel that they have to support an administrator. Oh, and leave ADD out of it. It’s not an ADD issue, it’s an issue for all parents.
Correct. Mark S. Probert Long Island, New York
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My 13 yr. old son has been suspended for 5 days!! for having tylenol in school! Yes, it’s against the rules, yes, he shouldn’t have had it but it is being treated the same as if he had brought marijuana or cocaine to school. He also must attend with his parents a ‘follow-up’ activity. He had been assigned to a 3 full day substance abuse prevention seminar which of course was on the other side of town. Matt has extreme ADHD, a bit of Tourette’s and he has had diabetes since he was 3. Gee, are we being contradictory here by allowing him to draw up insulin and inject himself at home (a mistake could potentially be fatal), but he is a criminal because he had tylenol. It has been referred to as ‘possession’ and the letter that will go in his file states that it is a substance abuse violation. I am appealing it based on the fact that Matt’s disability (ADHD) could cause him to make an impulsive decision with absolutely no realization that it could be breaking the rules. Everything (except one line in the official Regulations) refers to illegal drugs. The quiz he took refers only to illegal drugs, the one page update/highlights card that they have in their notebooks mentions only illegal drugs. That is what they concentrate on and that is what an ADHD child would remember. He has so much familiarity with medicine and drugs because of his problems that without specific emphasis on substances such as tylenol he’d never make the connection. He had a headache – he took tylenol, the only thing he did wrong was that he should have told me so that I could sign the medicine in at the clinic.
Laurie, I am not at all sure what to tell you about your problem. I am amazed at the stupidity of these schools. I will at least give our daughter’s school a slight bit of credit. They told us on the first day of school that there would not be any non perscription medication allowed at school. The only bad thing is, the idiots cannot give the kids tylonol for pain, or any non perscription drug without a doctor’s written permisson. So, I told the school and my daughter if ever needed, to call me and I will come to the school to give her anything she might need. A few weeks ago she walked into a wall ( don’t ask, she didn’t see a brick wall in front of her face. She has ADHD, what can I say). She hit it hard enough to knock herself down, and leave a big bruise on the side of her head. When she came home, she said she had a headache, and told me the story. I asked when she did it, and how long she had the headache. It happened EARLY IN THE DAY, AND SHE HAD A HEADACHE ALL DAY LONG. I was FURIOUS. It is hard enough to pay attention, but no one can with a massive headache. I am not sure where these schools get off abusing our kids. I wish I could help you. I guess my purpose here is to say you are not alone. I hope you are able to find a way to clear his record, he is going to need as many positives he can get when he gets older. Good Luck. Tammy
Response:
My 13 yr. old son has been suspended for 5 days!! for having tylenol in school! Yes, it’s against the rules, yes, he shouldn’t have had it but it is being treated the same as if he had brought marijuana or cocaine to school. He also must attend with his parents a ‘follow-up’ activity. He had been assigned to a 3 full day substance abuse prevention seminar which of course was on the other side of town. Matt has extreme ADHD, a bit of Tourette’s and he has had diabetes since he was 3. Gee, are we being contradictory here by allowing him to draw up insulin and inject himself at home (a mistake could potentially be fatal), but he is a criminal because he had tylenol. It has been referred to as ‘possession’ and the letter that will go in his file states that it is a substance abuse violation. I am appealing it based on the fact that Matt’s disability (ADHD) could cause him to make an impulsive decision with absolutely no realization that it could be breaking the rules. Everything (except one line in the official Regulations) refers to illegal drugs. The quiz he took refers only to illegal drugs, the one page update/highlights card that they have in their notebooks mentions only illegal drugs. That is what they concentrate on and that is what an ADHD child would remember. He has so much familiarity with medicine and drugs because of his problems that without specific emphasis on substances such as tylenol he’d never make the connection. He had a headache – he took tylenol, the only thing he did wrong was that he should have told me so that I could sign the medicine in at the clinic. This is really going to be helpful since he’s been since a lot of the last 2 weeks and then he gets a week suspension, by the time he gets back he is going to be lost, even with them sending home work (he is also in the LD program for written language difficulties). He takes things very literally and has trouble making of things that are inferred. Also, everything says that with these children its extremely important that the punishment fit the crime. Great job Fairfax County!! Thanks for helping us reinforce proper behavior and response!! Even the guidelines from the US. Dept of Education, Office of Special Services and Rehabilitation state that ADD children have difficulty understanding different rules in different places. I swear, I am ready to scream!! I have other things happening with the holidays and all, nothing like good timing! Some people have suggested we go to the papers and the local TV station, but I’m not sure if Matt wants to do that. I’m not really sure how far to take this, but it does go into his records as a ‘Substance Abuse Violation.’ If anybody has any suggestions, documentation of other cases or information from government or other ‘official’ sources PLEASE let me know. I’d appreciate any help you guys can give me. You know it’s not just Matt but I’ve heard that it’s happened to honor students, juniors and seniors in high school – and it goes on their records! It just isn’t right to equate tylenol with alcohol or cocaine!! Thanks for your help (and thanks for listening!) Laurie O’Bryan Centreville, VA
Response:
Perhaps you can contact you local Law School. There has got to be some young Lawyer who is so ticked off with your son’s school that she/he may take the case gratis. My suggestion, write the principal a letter stating your concerns and copy and send it to his boss. Keep going upstairs until you get satisfaction. I don’t know where you live but I assume that the School Board officials get elected there. Give em hell Chris. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My 13 yr. old son has been suspended for 5 days!! for having tylenol in school! Yes, it’s against the rules, yes, he shouldn’t have had it but it is being treated the same as if he had brought marijuana or cocaine to school. He also must attend with his parents a ‘follow-up’ activity. He had been assigned to a 3 full day substance abuse prevention seminar which of course was on the other side of town. Matt has extreme ADHD, a bit of Tourette’s and he has had diabetes since he was 3. Gee, are we being contradictory here by allowing him to draw up insulin and inject himself at home (a mistake could potentially be fatal), but he is a criminal because he had tylenol. It has been referred to as ‘possession’ and the letter that will go in his file states that it is a substance abuse violation. I am appealing it based on the fact that Matt’s disability (ADHD) could cause him to make an impulsive decision with absolutely no realization that it could be breaking the rules. Everything (except one line in the official Regulations) refers to illegal drugs. The quiz he took refers only to illegal drugs, the one page update/highlights card that they have in their notebooks mentions only illegal drugs. That is what they concentrate on and that is what an ADHD child would remember. He has so much familiarity with medicine and drugs because of his problems that without specific emphasis on substances such as tylenol he’d never make the connection. He had a headache – he took tylenol, the only thing he did wrong was that he should have told me so that I could sign the medicine in at the clinic. This is really going to be helpful since he’s been since a lot of the last 2 weeks and then he gets a week suspension, by the time he gets back he is going to be lost, even with them sending home work (he is also in the LD program for written language difficulties). He takes things very literally and has trouble making of things that are inferred. Also, everything says that with these children its extremely important that the punishment fit the crime. Great job Fairfax County!! Thanks for helping us reinforce proper behavior and response!! Even the guidelines from the US. Dept of Education, Office of Special Services and Rehabilitation state that ADD children have difficulty understanding different rules in different places. I swear, I am ready to scream!! I have other things happening with the holidays and all, nothing like good timing! Some people have suggested we go to the papers and the local TV station, but I’m not sure if Matt wants to do that. I’m not really sure how far to take this, but it does go into his records as a ‘Substance Abuse Violation.’ If anybody has any suggestions, documentation of other cases or information from government or other ‘official’ sources PLEASE let me know. I’d appreciate any help you guys can give me. You know it’s not just Matt but I’ve heard that it’s happened to honor students, juniors and seniors in high school – and it goes on their records! It just isn’t right to equate tylenol with alcohol or cocaine!! Thanks for your help (and thanks for listening!) Laurie O’Bryan Centreville, VA
Response:
(snip of "suspended for Tylenol" story, just for length) Laurie, I am not at all sure what to tell you about your problem. I am amazed at the stupidity of these schools. I will at least give our daughter’s school a slight bit of credit. They told us on the first day of school that there would not be any non perscription medication allowed at school.
Tammy, Not that I am trying to claim that schools are *not* stupid (well, at least about a lot of stuff …) but in this case, it’s probably the STATE rather than the SCHOOL who’s to blame. I’m pretty sure that most states have laws about giving out meds (prescription or otherwise) that all the towns and school districts must follow. Although some of the laws are written to give the schools a chance to use their own judgment — which it sure sounds like they DON’T, most of the time. The only bad thing is, the idiots cannot give the kids tylonol for pain, or any non perscription drug without a doctor’s written permisson.
Our schools are allowed to give just a *few* non-prescription meds with only verbal permission — children’s tylenol is one, and I think benadryl, and maybe a couple more, so if your kid has a headache the nurse will just call you for permission to give the tylenol. If you want your kid to have any other kind of OTC med, you (not the child themselves) have to bring it in and give it to the nurse, and it has to be in the original container, and you need to give written authorization. This is a good idea for the little ones; I do think it’s kind of silly not to allow a high school student to bring a couple of tylenols in their pocketbook if they’ve been fighting off a headache. On the other hand, there *are* kids who are severely allergic to OTC meds, and the danger is that one kid might give a pill to a friend without realizing what could happen. And in this day and age, the school is probably afraid that *they* would get sued if such a thing happened, so they are taking outrageously rigid stances to prevent it. When she came home, she said she had a headache, and told me the story. I asked when she did it, and how long she had the headache. It happened EARLY IN THE DAY, AND SHE HAD A HEADACHE ALL DAY LONG.
This is something that annoys me too — that your kid can have something happen to them and nobody notifies you. I think at least in the younger grades you ought to be told when your child is hurt or when they visit the nurse’s office for any reason — even if the school thinks they’re just fine afterward, hey, it’s a mother’s RIGHT to worry about her kid!! Nancy G. not that I would want to be the person in charge of making up all these laws …
