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Julian Grebe

English 093

12/10/09

Dial H for Harassment

The high school’s principal and superintendent have appointed the Student Judicial Court

– six seniors who help the school administration decide whether or not students who have

violated the rules should be punished – to make a decision on a group of athletes who have

harassed high schools girls [Appositive]. Even though, the principal and superintendent will not

be bound by the court’s decision, it is highly probable they will follow it [Subordinator].

The group of athletes have been harassing high schools girls for several years, received

several warnings and threats; despite this the group stopped only the worst of their behavior,

continuing more subtle forms of harassment [Prepositional Phrases]. During the fall semester

their behavior has resumed. When one girl threatened to complain to the principal, three of the

group’s boys pushed her into a boys’ lavatory and threatened her that it would get worse if she

talked [Participle]. That she eventually talked, resulted in more girls who had been harassed

coming forward alone or with their parents [NS – That]. The girls’ parents have hired a lawyer,

who has written to principle and superintendent saying, that unless the behavior stops, the

parents would sue the principle and superintendent personally and the school district for the

damages caused by emotional stress.

These types of issues are very common in schools. In my opinion the more immediate

problem is the physical damages; there is very little physical damage done on any of the girls.

The girl who was pushed into the lavatory may have a few minor injuries, but nothing major or

life threatening [Absolute]. The long term effects are more severe. This depends on the issue’s
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outcome; if the school takes a very severe action against certain members of the group or the

whole group, it is highly likely that this would appear on their transcripts and other school

records. This is especially bad for the members of the group who are planning on going to

college; another long term effect is the emotional effect the whole issue will have on the girls

who have been harassed. The issue could be a long term one, resulting in any one or all of them

getting psychiatric help to help them deal with it.

Another important factor to consider is the school’s image. It is important because it

could result in either parents not putting their children in the school or parents pulling their

children from the school or possibly both.

The main purpose of the punishment is to please the parents and also send a message to

all future harassers in order to prevent this type of situation from happening again [Infinitive].

Obviously the group would like to get a warning, a threat or reading an apology to the whole

school; any one or all of these would be preferred by the group since it does not affect their

future in any way. However, since the verbal offences on the girls occurred several times and

also since the parents of the girls who have been harassed want action taken against the group

and not a slap on the wrist, this is not possible. Probation would be a better option, but it would

probably be disliked by the girls’ parents, since it is not particularly harsh and it’s not a real

punishment, as they would only have some restrictions on them and they would have to show up

once a week or monthly to show their progress to who ever is in charge. The ideal option would

be for the school to suspend the boys; this will please the girls and their parents causing them to

drop the case, which in turn would please both the principal and superintendent [Relative

Clause]. However, this may affect the boys mainly because some of them are planning on

attending college, and the suspension might be included in their college transcripts. Expulsion is

another option which would please the parents, but it is an extreme measure and would be
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inappropriate because the principal and superintendent are really to be blamed because they

failed to do anything when the harassment occurred a second and third time. Expelling the boys

would shatter all of their futures because it is highly unlikely that they would be able to attend

another school with expulsion in their records [NS – Gerund]. Expulsion would be the best

choice if their behavior continued after their probation, suspension or whatever the principal and

superintendent decide to do to them [NS – WH]. Giving the case over to the authorities would

have similar if not worse consequences on the group members for it would not only mean that it

would be widely known and ruin any of their credibility but it would also kill their dreams of

attending college and it might also make it hard for them to find good jobs [Coordinator].

For the principal to please the girls and their parents means that they would have to make

the boys give an apology in front of the whole school. Then give them a three week suspension

followed by a probation that would last an entire school year and a threat of expulsion if they

ever acted like that again [NS – Infinitive]. If that solution does not work, then nothing but

handing them over to the authorities after expelling them from the school would do the trick.