Lacrosse players kicked off team after smoking cigars

[tomj]

Seems a little harsh

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/06/07/high-school-lacrosse-players-suspended-after-smoking-cigars-at-graduation/

[Susanne]

If I could post my first thought on reading this, I would be censured for uttering profanity... This is just... wrong. What message are we sending our kids when we tell them they are not allowed a victory celebration?

IIRC, my graduation celebration was a little more, um, "extensive" and exciting than merely smoking a victory cigar... Strangely enough, we ended up happy, successful, and (sadly for some) not a one of us ended up a mass murdering psychotic. Then again, we had a "smoking lot" on our school property, weren't repressed and regulated like kindergardners, and it wasn't considered evil to light up back then. Good thing one of them didn't point that lit stogie at someone like a gun... they would have probably been arrested.

God, how I would hate to be in high school now. --shudder--

[cadillacdoc]

IDIOTS in charge

[Paul3]

I'm simply speechless. The thrill, the lifelong memories of a senior playing in a state championship....absolutely crapped on by arguably the most simple minded, spiteful interpretation of a rule.

[srbbones]

That is why my kids go to private school. I would find it INTOLERABLE to have idiots like this in charge of my kids. Unfortunately, I am forced to pay the salaries of these PC drones with my property taxes.

Good thing they didn't bring NERF guns. Who knows what would have happened then.

Time for a revolution.

[Ken Gargett]

first, the deleted post was because of language. been endless warnings. easy to get the same views across without it.

but agree completely with the sentiments.

one has to assume that in some relevant legislation, cigars are defined as drugs. otherwise, sue the crap out of the school.

does it mean a kid who takes an aspirin because of a headache is out?

the desperate need to feel important that devours some of these mindless, insignificant, sad, pathetic bureaucratic morons never ceases to amaze me.

[asmartbull]

I work at a private school,,,,, our cigar ceremony is directly after graduation. .

sent while mobile....

[dicko]

ridiculous

[Guyman1966]

I read this earlier today and found it narrow minded and short sighted. This is what happens when bureaucrats feel empowered.

[kwsaw63]

There was a good reason why bureacrats used to be enuchs in ancient times....

[cigcars]

I read this earlier today and found it narrow minded and short sighted. This is what happens when bureaucrats feel empowered.

And those bureaucrats are probably smoking cigars...and indoors...with no fear of repercussion

[TheDistrictJP]

It is ridiculous, and I agree the punishment is too harsh. . . . however . . . when I played HS sports back in the 80's I knew very very very well that using tobacco products during season was a major offense. In fact, I got busted by the dean with a chew in my mouth, at the mall on a weekend and found a nice one-game suspension letter in my locker Monday morning.

It is what it is - they knew that tobacco was a no no and seriously should have waited or else smoked in their garages with their dads and away from news photogs. These are men and should take some of the blame for their actions.

[nem]

Not a fan of frivolous lawsuits, but the parents need to bring the relevant administrators to their knees with (the threat of) a lawsuit.

[Vinnyc]

How would a lawsuit help here. If the use of. Any tobacco is banned and they signed a contract agreeing to this then they do not have any basis for one. While we all love cigars here we are very much in the minority. They have to accept that they broke the contract. While I may not agree with lumping cigars in with all other tobacco use unfortunately it often is. I don't agree with what has happened here but don't see that they have any path of recourse.

[Colt45]

It is ridiculous, and I agree the punishment is too harsh. . . . however . . . when I played HS sports back in the 80's I knew very very very well that using tobacco products during season was a major offense.

Of course.

I graduated at seventeen - underage. They weren't pounding shots or doing lines at graduation - lumping cigars in is perhaps overkill, but a little common sense goes a long way - from both sides.....

[nem]

How would a lawsuit help here. If the use of. Any tobacco is banned and they signed a contract agreeing to this then they do not have any basis for one. While we all love cigars here we are very much in the minority. They have to accept that they broke the contract. While I may not agree with lumping cigars in with all other tobacco use unfortunately it often is. I don't agree with what has happened here but don't see that they have any path of recourse.

You make this sound like a black and white situation when we live in a world of gray. Firstly, rules are subject to interpretation (e.g. such rules are often constructed as a prohibition against drug abuse rather than drug use). Secondarily, sanctions must be reasonably measured against the violation.

By no means is there any guarantee that the students or parents will prevail in court. However, initiating a lawsuit or articulating a credible threat to initiate a lawsuit will give the relevant administrators cause to re-evaluate their position.

[Fosgate]

Coaches are still pricks since my day. Some even want you to sign a commitment over the summer to not engage in such audacious behavior.

[Vinnyc]

You make this sound like a black and white situation when we live in a world of gray. Firstly, rules are subject to interpretation (e.g. such rules are often constructed as a prohibition against drug abuse rather than drug use). Secondarily, sanctions must be reasonably measured against the violation.

By no means is there any guarantee that the students or parents will prevail in court. However, initiating a lawsuit or articulating a credible threat to initiate a lawsuit will give the relevant administrators cause to re-evaluate their position.

From the earliest fall practice date (the 3rd Monday in August), to the conclusion of the academic year or final athletic event (whichever is latest), on and off school grounds, weekdays and weekends, twenty-four hours per day, regardless of the quantity, use or consume, possess, buy/sell or give away any beverage containing alcohol (including products such as NA or near beer); any tobacco product (including e-cigarettes); marijuana; steroids; or any controlled substance as defined in the Massachusetts General Laws (Chapter 94-C, Sections 1-48). (NOTE: It is not, however, a violation for a student to be in possession of a legally defined drug specifically prescribed for the student's own use by his or her doctor.) It should be clearly understood that any gross violation of this rule, e.g., being drunk and/or disorderly, could result in immediate dismissal from the team.

I would say the tobacco use is pretty black and white in there given that they go so far as to ban ecigs as well. Although there are grey areas this is pretty black and white. As long as cigars are counted as tobacco they are pretty much screwed here.

[Vinnyc]

By the way I don't agree with it but when you sign a contract you have to be willing to accept the consequences. The contract is PC gone mad can't give tobacco as a gift seems just crazy.

[shlomo]

They broke a rule and got punished for breaking the rule.

Don't like the rule? Change it.

They should have been kicked off and they were.

Just because somebody smokes a cigar does not mean we must all defend them as if they were our family....

They broke more than one rule, and it was very clear that they should be punished. Not anything wrong here at all. Not even the rule imo.

[nem]

From the earliest fall practice date (the 3rd Monday in August), to the conclusion of the academic year or final athletic event (whichever is latest), on and off school grounds, weekdays and weekends, twenty-four hours per day, regardless of the quantity, use or consume, possess, buy/sell or give away any beverage containing alcohol (including products such as NA or near beer); any tobacco product (including e-cigarettes); marijuana; steroids; or any controlled substance as defined in the Massachusetts General Laws (Chapter 94-C, Sections 1-48). (NOTE: It is not, however, a violation for a student to be in possession of a legally defined drug specifically prescribed for the student's own use by his or her doctor.) It should be clearly understood that any gross violation of this rule, e.g., being drunk and/or disorderly, could result in immediate dismissal from the team.

I would say the tobacco use is pretty black and white in there given that they go so far as to ban ecigs as well. Although there are grey areas this is pretty black and white. As long as cigars are counted as tobacco they are pretty much screwed here.

Not trying to pick on you here, friend, but you can't paint the situation as black and white while conceding the presence of shades of gray. Even if we are to render the event monochrome, that does not mean the policy itself cannot be challenged.

I hate to stray off topic, but given the absurdities and atrocities that have been perpetrated against cigar smoking in the US and elsewhere, we can't approach the protection of our rights with a defeatist attitude.

[Vinnyc]

I know your not picking on me it's a forum if we all agreed it would be a very boring place. I never take anything on a forum personally. I don't have a defeatist attitude but I can see unfortunately in Europe anyway where tobacco use is becoming harder and harder to enjoy

[nem]

By the way I don't agree with it but when you sign a contract you have to be willing to accept the consequences. The contract is PC gone mad can't give tobacco as a gift seems just crazy.

I know your not picking on me it's a forum if we all agreed it would be a very boring place. I never take anything on a forum personally. I don't have a defeatist attitude but I can see unfortunately in Europe anyway where tobacco use is becoming harder and harder to enjoy

We obviously share dissatisfaction with the current outcome of the situation. However, we may have to agree to disagree on how to rectify the problem, or whether it can or should be rectified at all.

[Vinnyc]

With the amount of press it is getting you may see a bit of a let up or it could make them dig their heels in more.

[polarbear]

I agree with the statements mentioned here that the player signed a contract. He was bound by it to abide by the terms laid out in it. If he didn't like the terms or was not willing to agree to them then he should not have signed it.

While I don't agree with any educational or sports body trying to dictate to it's students/players what they can and can't do in their spare time (provided it is legal and affects no one but the person doing it) at the end of the day he made a deal and then proceeded to break it. It seems pretty black and white to me.