A local middle-school student returned to class late last week before completing his suspension which garnered a firestorm of controversy and plenty of media attention throughout metro Atlanta.
Christian Philon, a 12-year-old honor student at Austin Road Middle School, had been ordered to serve a 10-day suspension after giving the school’s lunch lady a $20 bill which was determined to be counterfeit, according to a report by WSB-TV. He had received the bill from his father. Both parents as well as Christian himself stated that they had no idea the bill was fake.
After he received in-school suspension, the parents filed a police report about unknowingly receiving the counterfeit money. But that didn’t matter to officials at last week’s disciplinary hearing, during which a panel ruled that he violated the code of conduct because he was in possession of the currency, regardless of the circumstances.
As usual, district officials did not comment on the “disciplinary matter.” But local parents blew up social media, and less than 48 hours after the hearing, superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis made an executive decision to have Christian return to school.
The district posted the following statement Friday evening on the Board of Education’s official Facebook page:
“Attention has been recently brought to a discipline matter implicating an honorable young student to be in possession of counterfeit money which has prompted Superintendent intervention.
“While the current language in the Henry County Schools’ Code of Conduct drove the discipline process that unfolded, separately there was an investigation of the matter conducted by the Deputy Sheriff assigned to that school. The Deputy’s investigation concluded that there was no intent on the student’s actions nor did the student have knowledge that he was in possession of a counterfeit bill.
“Following the outcome of the student disciplinary hearing process, the Superintendent intervened to review the details of the hearing in combination with the Deputy’s report. The Superintendent found the assignment of punishment to lack the necessary discretion given the evidence produced that the student was completely unaware.
“Additionally, she has directed the immediate examination of the entire Code of Conduct and the process for assigning consequences for student infractions.
“‘We are in the business of educating students,” stated Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “And while it is our responsibility to ensure our expectations uphold a safe learning environment, we must never omit sound judgment in matters so closely impacting our students’ lives and their education. The student has returned to class.’”
Of the dozens of comments posted with regard to this post, many took the position that Davis’ action had less to do with “sound judgment” and more to do with a reaction to negative media attention.
This is the latest in a string of such incidents over the past years which attracted attention from outside Henry County.
A 10-year-old student was expelled permanently from the district last spring after bringing party poppers to Flippen Elementary School. The story was reported by WSB-TV at the time, after the school’s hearing officer made the decision on the grounds that the tiny fireworks are considered explosive compounds. The district’s only official comment was that the rules are clear in the handbook regarding expulsion for bringing an explosive compound to school.
A Dutchtown Middle School student was disciplined in juvenile court six years ago and spent the summer on probation for drawing on a bathroom wall along with a friend. The student, who is black, received the punishment after her family disputed the charge and said it could not pay the $100 in restitution. The student’s friend, who is white, was released after her parents paid restitution. The story was reported by the New York Times and Henry County officials declined to comment.
Five years ago a female at Hampton High School was expelled during the second semester of her senior year and assigned to the county’s alternative school for a fight which video and other court evidence showed was a case of self-defense. An Atlanta legal-aid firm helped her family win a judgment in Henry County Superior Court, after which the school board chose to allocate its taxpayer-funded legal resources to appeal the decision all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court over a three-year period. It was the first time the high court ever heard a school disciplinary case. The high court in August of 2017 ordered the case sent back to the local court, a decision which the school district declared a victory. But the student was exonerated by the district last May.
