8-year-old suspended for sniffing marker

[DenverChief]

Gotta love the knee jerk reaction and then be so afraid of admitting to being wrong as to not back down in the face of medical testimony
WESTMINSTER – Adams School District 50 is defending its decision to punish a third grader for sniffing a Sharpie marker.

Eight-year-old Eathan Harris was originally suspended from Harris Park Elementary School for three days. Principal Chris Benisch reduced the suspension to one day after complaints from Harris' parents.

Harris used a black Sharpie marker to color a small area on the sleeve of his sweatshirt. A teacher sent him to the principal when she noticed him smelling the marker and his clothing.

"It smelled good," Harris said. "They told me that's wrong."

Eathan's father, John Harris, says the school overreacted for treating Eathan as if he was huffing, or inhaling, marker fumes.

"I think it's outlandish," John Harris said. "It's ridiculous."

Eathan shyly shook his head "no" when a reporter asked if he knew about "huffing."

Benisch stands by his decision to suspend Harris, saying it sends a clear message about substance abuse.

"This is really, really, seriously dangerous," Benisch said.

In his letter suspending the child, Benisch wrote that smelling the marker fumes could cause the boy to "become intoxicated."

A toxicologist with the Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center says that claim is nearly impossible.

Dr. Eric Lavonas says non-toxic markers like Sharpies, while pungent-smelling, cannot be used to get high.

"I don't know whether it would be possible for a real overachiever to figure out a way to get high off them," Lavonas said. "But in regular use, it's just not something that's going to happen."

"If you went to Costco and bought 50 bags of Sharpies and did something to them, maybe there's a way to get creative and make it happen," Lavonas said.

Adams County School District 50 leaders were unfazed by the poison control center's medical opinion.

"Principals make hundreds of decisions everyday based on our best judgment. And in that time, smelling that marker, I felt like, 'Wow, that's a very serious marker,'" Benisch said.

Despite the medical evidence, Benisch promised to draw an even clearer line on markers.

"We've purged every permanent marker there is in this building," he said.

Eathan Harris says he's happy to be back in school after his suspension, but he did confide he worried the school's disciplinary action might hurt his dream of one day becoming a professional football player.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=89333

[POND_OF_RED]

Eathan Harris says he's happy to be back in school after his suspension, but he did confide he worried the school's disciplinary action might hurt his dream of one day becoming a professional football player.
Is it safe to assume that little Eathan, growing up a football fan in a Denver suburb, is only taking after his role model Travis Henry?

[mikey23545]

Obviously Benisch has been huffing for quite a while...There can't be any brain cells still alive in that skull....

[mikey23545]

Oh, and btw, I used to <i>love</i> the smell of magic markers when I was a kid....

[kepp]

"This is really, really, seriously dangerous," Benisch said.
Great, so let's suspend the kid instead of teaching him and the rest of the 3rd graders that its dangerous - even though its not.

[cadmonkey]

Oh, and btw, I used to <i>love</i> the smell of magic markers when I was a kid....

tell me about it. Nothing better than huffing a marker........then the unbearable headache afterwards.

hmmmmmmm

where are my sharpies????????

[Mr. Plow]

Have we gotten so bad as a society that we can no longer have markers in school? What I want to know is when are they going to purge glue from all the schools? That stuff can be dangerous.

[The Franchise]

Substance abuse? ROFL

[InChiefsHeaven]

"Principals make hundreds of decisions everyday based on our best judgment. And in that time, smelling that marker, I felt like, 'Wow, that's a very serious marker,'" Benisch said.

Despite the medical evidence, Benisch promised to draw an even clearer line on markers.

"We've purged every permanent marker there is in this building," he said.

Eathan Harris says he's happy to be back in school after his suspension, but he did confide he worried the school's disciplinary action might hurt his dream of one day becoming a professional football player.

Is it just me, or does this last couple of paragraphs sound like a parody? Almost sounds like an Onion article...

[gta0012]

Oh, and btw, I used to <i>love</i> the smell of magic markers when I was a kid....

As a kid? I love doing it now! haha

[Demonpenz]

you can a sweet buzz by holding your breath for 10 minutes and having a a person pressed against a chest what what i am talking

[gta0012]

Oh god and when i was in high school their was this stupid thing where kids would press thier hands up against thier neck cutting off hte blood to thier brini and get a little rush from that.

People are retarted.

[Bob Dole]

Eathan shyly shook his head "no" when a reporter asked if he knew about "huffing."

Then Eathan smiled and added, "But I do now".

[jspchief]

Ridiculous over-reaction? Yes.

But in the grand scheme of things the only consequence it's going to have on an 8 year-old is to make him think it's a very bad thing to sniff markers.

[Radar Chief]

Then Eathan smiled and added, "But I do now".

Eggs-zactly my thoughts. :thumb:

[stlchiefs]

Ridiculous over-reaction? Yes.

But in the grand scheme of things the only consequence it's going to have on an 8 year-old is to make him think it's a very bad thing to sniff markers.

And that there's no reason to admit you are wrong when confronted with factual evidence that the decision you made is absolutely stupid. You don't think this kid is going to question authority figures a little more now?

[Chief Chief]

So the principal states that sniffing the marker is "...really, really, seriously dangerous" but then admits he sniffed the marker?

Where's the superintendent to dish out the principal's suspension?

[chasedude]

I know kids are maturing faster now than they used to but give me a break. I did the same thing in school. I ate dirt, glue all kinds of stuff. This is huge overreaction, glad I don't have children in that school district. Oh BTW, I found a linky to contact this facist School district. Send them your thoughts.

Contact Linky (http://adams50.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=15336&sessionid=42b2dabe5e2317c98a23b9b62939a926&sessionid=42b2dabe5e2317c98a23b9b62939a926%20%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0)

[Chief Chief]

Did they toss out the whiteboard markers as well? Dump the chalk, too, along with the custodians' cleaning fluids; the teachers' nail polish, lipstick, mascara; etc.

[Mr. Plow]

Did they toss out the whiteboard markers as well? Dump the chalk, too, along with the custodians' cleaning fluids; the teachers' nail polish, lipstick, mascara; etc.

This stuff is in schools!?!? I'm pulling my children out of school IMMEDIATELY!




Going to a Catholic grade school, we didn't get suspensions and such for doing something wrong - our first grade teacher had a wooden paddle hanging on the wall.....one smack on the ass and you didn't act up again.

[Chiefnj2]

I wonder if the principal could draft up a report categorizing the different markers. We know that Sharpies are a "very serious marker". Are there any markers less serious? I've been shopping for a whimsical marker but haven't had much luck.

[Rooster]

Just look at this kid. She's all spun out on markers. It's sad really. :shake:

[Mr. Plow]

Just look at this kid. She's all spun out on markers. It's sad really. :shake:

Get that kid into rehab, immediately!

[JBucc]

Oh, and btw, I used to <i>love</i> the smell of magic markers when I was a kid....They used to make markers that smelled like different things and you were supposed to smell them.

[Radar Chief]

I wonder if the principal could draft up a report categorizing the different markers. We know that Sharpies are a "very serious marker". Are there any markers less serious? I've been shopping for a whimsical marker but haven't had much luck.

Nice. :thumb: I haven’t had any luck finding a semi-serious but mostly upbeat marker either. ;)

[Rooster]

They used to make markers that smelled like different things and you were supposed to smell them.

Exactly. They had blueberry, strawberry, and cherry etc.

If the markers are so "dangerous" then why are they in the classroom? Isn't the school essentially admitting to endangering these kids?

[crazycoffey]

Dr. Eric Lavonas says non-toxic markers like Sharpies, while pungent-smelling, cannot be used to get high.

"I don't know whether it would be possible for a real overachiever to figure out a way to get high off them," Lavonas said. "But in regular use, it's just not something that's going to happen."

"If you went to Costco and bought 50 bags of Sharpies and did something to them, maybe there's a way to get creative and make it happen," Lavonas said.




I'll bet money that some idiot, somewhere, reads this and goes out to try it.

:clap: - Great job doctor Lavonas.....

[Dartgod]

I'll bet money that some idiot, somewhere, reads this and goes out to try it.

:clap: - Great job doctor Lavonas.....
I already figured it out.

Get 50 Sharpies, remove the ink cartridges and squeeze out the ink into a small mixing bowl.

Mix in 1 gram methamphetamine...

[Chiefnj2]

Next thing you know the principal will be rounding up and purging all those sharpened pencils. They can be very serious too. Its like a concentration camp for writing impliments in that school.

[BIG_DADDY]

God I hope they have a voucher system in place before my kid reaches school age. These people know they will never be held accoutable which makes this type of baseless arrogance possible.

[Adept Havelock]

Oh, and btw, I used to <i>love</i> the smell of magic markers when I was a kid....

No kidding. Heck, I remember the entire class all sniffing freshly run mimeograph paper (think "A Christmas Story, for you photocopy era folks).

Nowadays they would probably haul us out of class and shoot us for that.

[Dartgod]

No kidding. Heck, I remember the entire class all sniffing freshly run mimeograph paper (think "A Christmas Story, for you photocopy era folks).
Or Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

[blueballs]

Ethan was playing doctor with Kate earlier
the magic marker was invloved of course

[mikey23545]

Just look at this kid. She's all spun out on markers. It's sad really. :shake:

Dude, that's a Playdoh high... I'd recognize it anywhere.

[bogey]

There must be more to this story. If not, in the words of John Wayne, "this is regoddambrediculous."

[mikey23545]

No kidding. Heck, I remember the entire class all sniffing <b>freshly run mimeograph paper</b> (think "A Christmas Story, for you photocopy era folks).

Nowadays they would probably haul us out of class and shoot us for that.

Now <i>THAT</i> was ambrosia of the Gods!

[TrebMaxx]

No kidding. Heck, I remember the entire class all sniffing freshly run mimeograph paper (think "A Christmas Story, for you photocopy era folks).

Nowadays they would probably haul us out of class and shoot us for that.

Man I miss doing that!

[bogey]

Lots of people aging themselves in this thread.