Off-Campus Punishment Policy Causes Stir In N.J.
OAKLAND, N.J. (CBS 2) -- A Bergen County school district has been able to ban students from extracurricular activities if they break the law off-campus and on their own time.
The district has been enforcing the controversial policy by getting the names of students from police, even if they're not convicted of a crime.
As CBS 2's Christine Sloan reports, the state Department of Education is now stepping in.
The Ramapo/Indian Hills regional district has been enforcing the controversial policy at its two high schools for the past year: No sports or extracurricular activities if you're a student arrested for breaking the law off school grounds. That includes drinking alcohol or doing drugs.
"I think that they were overstepping bounds as board of education people and not parents. It's really, ultimately the parent's responsibility," parent Colleen Giegerich said.
The policy has parents in other districts talking, too.
"I think that's a great idea. Why not [if] they're doing something wrong?" one person said.
Students in the district have strong opinions. Soccer player Joe Carrol doesn't like it.
"They're not on school grounds. Why should they be getting in trouble for something school-wise?" Carrol said.
"If you're doing something stupid you should pay the consequence," another student added.
New Jersey's Department of Education says the district has to stop the big brother-like policy, saying it's unconstitutional, especially if a student hasn't been convicted of a crime.
"The board of education believes that our extracurricular activities are a privilege and that they're not a right," Superintendent Lauren Schoen said.
Students are banned from extracurricular activities for seven days for the first violation, 90 days for the second and that number jumps to a 180 for the third offense.
Next week the board of education in this district will decide whether to follow the ruling or to appeal it.
The superintendent said five students were banned during the year from sports or extracurricular activities because of the policy.
