Recent editorials from Louisiana newspapers:
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Sept. 30
The Advocate on a student who was suspended for having a BB gun during his online class:
The pandemic has made K-12 and higher education unlike anything we could’ve imagined before the coronavirus started forcing us to do things differently. Before the pandemic, some school and university officials had instituted online and hybrid learning, and others were experimenting with the new model as they considered how best to provide quality education in a virtual environment. Suddenly, though, everyone is doing it.
This has forced adoption of the new model has caused education leaders and administrators to review existing policies, rewriting some and applying existing policies in new environments.
Unfortunately, Ka’Mauri Harrison, a 9-year-old Woodmere School fourth grader, was taking a test during a virtual class Sept. 11 when his teacher saw the barrel of a BB rifle. Because he was concentrating on taking the test, the volume was on mute and he didn’t hear the teacher making an effort to get his attention to inquire about the gun. For one reason or another, there were “internet issues” that resulted in Ka’Mauri being disconnected as the teacher brought the situation to the attention of school officials.
A short time later it was determined that Ka’Mauri was in the wrong, mainly because “Jefferson Parish Public School Policy and Procedures 2019-21 – Possession of a Starter Gun, Stun Gun and/or Facsimile” prohibits displaying such a weapon during virtual instruction. According to the policy, kindergarten-sixth grade students may be expelled “unless other corrective or disciplinary action is recommended…”
The disciplinary hearing officer decided that Ka’Mauri should be suspended on school days from Sept. 16-23, resuming class on Sept. 24. The decision was “fair and proper” according to Woodmere Principal Cecily White.
The school investigation and district hearing don’t seem to have taken into account that Ka’Mauri meant no harm, the weapon was a BB gun and he was moving it because his brother tripped. At this point, the suspension has been served and it is on his school record.
The case has gotten a lot of local, state and national attention. CBS, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today and media abroad have published stories about Ka’Mauri’s case.
Though the matter has been officially resolved, it’s clear that this was a young boy doing his best to be a mature, responsible student. The suspension time cannot be given back. But Ka’Mauri’s record can be cleared by removing the suspension so it doesn’t become a hindrance to his academic progress at Woodmere, in the Jefferson Parish Schools district or elsewhere in years to come.
The district superintendent and school officials should show Ka’Mauri what responsible leadership looks like by withdrawing his suspension and wiping his school slate clean.
Online: https://www.theadvocate.com/
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Sept. 29
The Advocate on a voter registration glitch:
National Voter Registration Day is an annual event aimed at urging Americans to sign up to vote. It just stands to reason that on this day of all days, they should be able to.
So there was understandable outrage on Sept. 22 when, at least for a while, some people who tried to register through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s web site were told it was down for maintenance.
One of many angered by the turn of events was New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who said on Twitter that it was “beyond reprehensible. Absolute dereliction of duty, at such a critical time for our City and our nation. The LA SoS owes more to the people he serves.”
She’s right. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin does owe more to Louisianans. The following day, he admitted as much, calling the maintenance planned in advance for this particular day “an unfortunate error for which I take full responsibility.”
We’re prepared to believe the botched timing was the result of haplessness rather than bad intent, despite accusations by some Democrats that Ardoin, a Republican, intended to suppress Democratic participation. Still, the fact that he’s both the steward of our elections and a participant in the fierce debate over ballot access means he needs to be extra careful not to tilt the scales, or even appear to.
It was Ardoin, after all, who authored a pandemic voting plan for the fall election that severely restricted allowances for more mail voting - excluding, for example, people with preexisting conditions who might find in-person voting too dangerous. He admitted that he crafted the plan to satisfy conservative conspiracy theories in the Legislature, who echoed President Donald Trump’s rhetoric that voting by mail isn’t secure despite a lack of evidence supporting their position. His plan was struck down by a federal judge who ordered the state to revert to less rigid restrictions in place during summer voting.
Whether or not more widespread registration actually bolsters Democrats is really beside the point, because promoting participation from as many Americans as possible is the ultimate nonpartisan goal. That’s why National Voter Registration Day is backed by a long list of organizations, including the National Association of Secretaries of State, which represents Ardoin and his peers around the country. It’s why Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry sent out a tweet encouraging his followers to participate.
It’s also why registering should be easy and understandable; it should never become an obstacle course, as it unfortunately was for some people last week. We hope those who were frustrated by the process try again.
The good news is that there’s still plenty of time before the Nov. 3 presidential election. The deadline to register in person or mail a registration form is Monday, Oct. 5. For online registration, the deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 13.
We encourage everyone who’s eligible to sign up. And obviously, we urge Ardoin to make sure that they can.
Online: https://www.theadvocate.com/
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