Story Archive

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

When 40 students from Jensen Beach (Fla.) High School arrived at their prom late — and in a chauffeured “party bus” — school officials declared they couldn’t go in to the dance until each one had passed a breath test for alcohol consumption, even though there was no specific evidence that any of them had drunk alcohol. There was, however, an empty champagne bottle on the bus. “We said it is not ours,” one of the students said. “And they just didn’t believe us and we were staying outside for two hours getting Breathalyzed.” Administrators said none of the students could go in until all of them were tested; students couldn’t go to the prom at all without signing a “zero tolerance” policy consenting to on-demand alcohol testing. Sure enough, all 40 came up completely sober, but by the time that was proven, the prom was over. Still, several of the students were suspended — for cursing at the delay. (RC/WPTV West Palm Beach) ...School administration: the ideal profession for school bullies when they finally graduate.