Fines $600+ For Cursing Mesquite Student

MESQUITE (CBSDFW.COM) - Some North Texas students might think twice the next time they want to mouth off in school.

In October, a Mesquite high school student was slapped with a $340 fine, after a teacher reported her to campus police for shouting foul language at another student.

Mesquite Independent School District spokesperson Ian Halperin says the incident isn't the first time a student has been fined.

"Unfortunately, ya know, people say things that they might later regret or say things out of emotion and, just like if you said it in a public place and someone complained, you could be issued a ticket for it," explained Halperin. "There are laws against it."

That's the bad news. But while Halperin says student fines aren't unusual, he says there are ways to fix it. "You know, for first offenders the fine sometimes can be waived," he said. "Parents do need to understand that these are tickets issued by the police and they do need to follow up with them."

Any action that is or isn't taken will be the decision of the courts. "The main thing is just to understand is that these [tickets] do become police matters and parents do need to make sure that they look at the instructions on the ticket and talk with the police department if they have any questions," Halperin suggested.

Mesquite ISD officials say detention or in-school suspensions are also options, but when police get involved it becomes a matter for the courts.

While the student in question denies she said the words loud enough for the class to hear, she never showed up for court; that meant penalties were attached to the $340 fine bringing the total cost to more than $600.

Ian Halperin on 1080 KRLD