A Columbus, Georgia student will return to class Monday after serving three days' suspension that began when his mother called him on his cell phone from Iraq, where she is deployed.
Kevin Francois was initially suspended for 10 days for what Spencer High School officials said was his use of profanity after a teacher interrupted the conversation.
His mother's name is Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, according to The Associated Press.
The suspension gained national attention Friday, prompting a flood of e-mails to school officials. By Friday afternoon, they told Francois his 10-day suspension would be shortened to the three already served.
"All I want to do is just go back to school," Francois said.
Muscogee County School District Superintendent John Phillips Jr. said Friday the suspension was not because of the phone call, but the result of Francois' reaction to the teacher interrupting it.
"The suspension was really incidental to the telephone. It was the behavior of the student, using profanity, screaming at the teacher," Phillips said.
"He became very belligerent and very threatening to her" when she asked him to turn over the phone, Phillips said.
"He said he was 17 years old and he would do what he wanted to do," Phillips told CNN-affiliate WTVM.
The teacher took him to the principal's office, where "he became very unruly and out of control," said Phillips. "It was escalating to a point where they were getting ready to call security."
The way I see it, both parties are to blame.
The government education facility, due to damnable zero tolerance, doesn't allow the drones to think for themselves, and maybe use a bit of common sense. The original story stated that the school's policy is that no phones can be on because of the cheating ability of text messaging. What I want to know is that if cell phones are not supposed to be used during school hours, why even allow the damn things on the campus to begin with?
Also, the kid was at fault. We've all been kids, and probably head strong to boot. I know he was upset. I'd have been upset as well. I'd also have been sent to the office without the phone. God bless his mom for her service in Iraq, but seriously, the kid knows the rules. No phones on during school hours. That also includes lunchtime. Gotta play by their rules until you graduate. A little thing called voicemail works wonders. If you make one exception, then everyone will become that exception. Zero tolerance indeed.
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