An arbitrator has ruled that the expulsion of Shaker Heights High School Sophomore Isaac Richmond, who filmed an altercation between two female students on his phone on March 19, was excessive and unwarranted. Richmond will return to class Monday, May 12, to the relief of parents (and some teachers) who have increasingly come to view new 34-year-old Superintendent Gregory Hutchings as an egomaniac with something to prove.
Isaac Richmond isn’t Dr. Hutchings’ first sacrificial lamb who has successfully appealed his sacrifice. On April 22, Channel 5 reported that Shaker Heights Sophomore Josh Lugo-Ortiz, a strong student who’d been expelled for picking up a homemade knife that his friend had brought to school — “Curiosity got the best of me,” Lugo-Ortiz admitted — would be allowed to return to class on May 19, sooner than the prescribed 45-day expulsion.
Lugo-Ortiz’s attorney, Todd Kotler, told WEWS that the school had every right to keep its students safe, but “where they became overzealous” was punishing his client to prove a point. Kotler said he hoped the situation would foster a conversation about school policies.
School policy was at the root of the appeal in Isaac Richmond’s case as well. Richmond filmed a fight on an electronic device, and though technically the student handbook prohibits the use of such devices, “unless otherwise instructed by a staff member,” Richmond’s mother Karen Trumbo said students use them all day long. Any high school teacher will tell you the same, despite their efforts to keep kids off their phones.
“They do surveys in class, they look up words,” Trumbo told Scene in a phone interview. “They send pictures of their food to Michelle Obama. That’s what they do. I told Hutchings, ‘The kids are way ahead of us.'”
Trumbo said that her son has been instructed not to post videos like that to social media, but he did forward it to a friend, a senior on the basketball team. He also shared the video with a Shaker Heights police officer who works undercover at the high school for security. That officer, who asked to remain nameless, told Scene that because there are no cameras in the classrooms, Richmond’s video may in fact be used as official evidence in a court of law. He also confirmed that when security guards see students with phones in the hall, they tell them to put them away and that’s generally the end of it.
Trumbo said that sensible policies regarding students’ devices haven’t been made clear.
“Isaac didn’t even know he did anything wrong,” said Trumbo. “If they would’ve asked him to delete the video, he would have.” She said she finds it problematic that Dr. Hutchings called an emergency meeting for faculty after the altercation but never held an assembly for the students to review rules and expectations.
“This should have been a teaching moment,” she said. Instead, he was expelled.
Trumbo also contended that the initial hearing for her son was a sham, as Hutchings had already indicated to the “Shakerite,” a hyper-local news outlet, that he’d be recommending expulsion for the videographers as well as the combatants.
Hutchings, who most recently worked “in a position equivalent to an assistant superintendent” in Alexandria, Virginia, was unavailable Monday and Tuesday for an interview. Shaker Heights Schools’ Director of Communications Peggy Caldwell responded by phone to say that as a matter of policy, they don’t discuss individual disciplinary procedures publicly. She provided the portion of the student handbook which pertains to use of electronic devices.
“If a student uses a cell phone or other electronic device during the school day without authorization,” the handbook read, “it may be confiscated and held in the office until claimed by a parent/guardian.”
Hutchings’ version: “If a student uses a cell phone one more fucking time, he/she will either be expelled or sentenced to 48 hours in the goddamn stocks.”
Todd Kotler cited two studies (one from the American Psychological Association and one from a family law journal) that argue persuasively that zero-tolerance policies like Hutchings’ aren’t effective methods to rehabilitate and reform misbehaving children. Kotler, along with Trumbo, felt that punishments should be commensurate with the infraction.
Scene agrees. Confiscating a phone when you’re not supposed to be using it sounds fair. Expelling high-performing students for a first-time, non-violent offense seems like the most egregious crime of all. But so it goes in the fiefdoms of over-aggressive, power-hungry superintendents.
This article appears in May 7-13, 2014.
Yeah, I have to say, it seems to be just a tiny bit harsh to expel a great student for using their cell phone once. Power trip much?
QUOTE: “This should have been a teaching moment,” [Trumbo] said. Instead, he was expelled.
And, exactly what was HER lesson to her son from that “teachable moment”?
Did she say, “you should’ve found faculty to stop the fight rather than stop to record it” or “rather than plea ignorance and insist you didn’t wrong, maybe admit you didn’t read the handbook and didn’t offer to delete the video from you phone rather than wait for the request”?
No. Her implicit lesson was “if you get good grades, the rules don’t apply to you and anyone who says otherwise is an egomaniac.”
Because filming a fight between two females and forwarding it to people is ok…
Kid deserved it. Good grades or not, it’s wrong and highly inappropriate.
Justice served!…Congrats Sir. Prayer ain’t never hurt anyone.
It all boils down to did he approach the officer with this video or did the officer approach him? If he went to the officer with the video then obviously he had decent intent for his actions and if anything should be thanked.
I feel in these two examples, “if” they are excellent students it was harsh. However, he’s there to get rid of the rift raft that has infected the Shaker school district due to illegals and Section 8 tennants. The one boy who filmed the fight did not know that the classmate that he showed the video to was even an officer because he was undercover! The boy knew he was breaking the rules he wanted to catch a “Worldstar” moment. Suspend him for 2 weeks and tell him his cell phone is not allowed outside his locker unless on lunch break for the remainder of the school year. I love the new superintendent he understands the top priority is for all children to learn if your child is disrupting to the learning environment then they need to leave forever! Period
I’m okay with the suspension, maybe not as long, but sensationalizing fighting in school just causes more kids to fight to get their 15 minutes of fame. What happened to the innocent bystander laws where you should help instead of standing there filming someone getting hurt. Can’t wait to see what the scene will do when they find out Shaker’s policy on cutting down excessive black clothing, and black died hair in fear our children may commit suicide for being labeled “goth”
The student did in fact know that the adult he gave the video too, was and undercover Police officer, a teacher was assaulted while attempting to break up the fight, an assault/disorderly conduct occurred therefor, the video is evidence and could be used in a court of law. besides this is 2014 and over 90% of students in school have cell phones. one must live under a rock, not to know that “all” classroom fights are recorded by other students cell phone’s. Look at the Michigan classroom fight that was aired on the news today, where the Teacher was fired for attempting to break up the fight, by beating both student with a broom stick. You think that Superintendent expelled the students who took that video, ” of course not”. In this case, the punishment was excessive, unwarranted and unheard off. If the Superintendent whished to make some type of point, regarding the use of cell phones, learn what progressive stage of punishment means, and initiate clear cut policies regarding cell phone use in the school, and post it in the school, which state law dictates. And STOP with the “knee jerk reactions”. A day or two suspension may have been adequate and much more reasonable, but to kick a kid out of school, who has never been in trouble “ever” for video taping a crime and turning the video over to the authorities is unconceivable. I agree, (Overly-excessive power hungry Superintendent)!!!
As an administrator in an out-of-state school district, I would say this was excessive. And were those comments in the article actually made by the superintendent? If so, then his bosses – the school board trustees need to exact some discipline on him. Policies and progressive discipline whether in school or the workplace are there for a reason. It appears neither was considered in this unfortunate event.
As for the commenter regarding the ‘element’ that has invaded Shaker Heights, PUBLIC schools were established to educate all students, regardless of their ‘walk’ in life. If YOU’RE from Shaker you’d know Master Richmond has been raised right!
How about we take a step back? What type of discipline did the teacher receive for not having control over her class room? She should have received some training to manage a classroom dispute in such a manner that it shouldn’t rise to the level of a physical fight that has to be broken up (and most Shaker teachers brag about their excellent training)? This put the safety of students in more danger than filming her incompetence. This was an issue of embarrassment but it should have been an issue of a teacher that should have been asked out for the rest of the year (union protection notwithstanding). As a parent, I want my child to record crisis in his classroom as there are no cameras in the classroom to record truth.
When did school policy override 1st amendment rights of students? Students who learn journalism at Shaker schools, have the rights any American has to record ‘news’ and ‘evidence’. Where is the outrage for a teaching staff who is not called upon to keep students safe and can’t handle an argument before it gets to the ‘fight’ stage and then on top of that, tries to correct the incompetence by breaking it up and getting hurt? There is no competence on any practical level here at all by staff. The suspension went in the wrong direction. With enough teachers out of work and the compensation of Shaker teachers, this should be an example of zero tolerance for people who cannot or will not do their FIRST job, which is keep the students safe. If you can’t manage teenagers, you can’t teach them, no matter HOW much education you have. Common sense comes first! Master Richmond is a hero in my eyes! Superintendent, you don’t have to worry about the tale of the tape, if your teachers can resolve disputes! If they can’t, they shouldn’t be there. Teach students that everybody is accountable, even teachers. An average grandma can stop teenagers before they come to blows! Get it straight.
Wow! this amazes me that blame has been placed on teachers,superintendants. The blame is clearly the children who have not been trained well from home the place to handle a dispute is not in the classroom. As far as evidence apparently there were witnesses there that all speak the english language. Cameras are not needed in school neither are phones. The student should have been suspended for fighting and for taping. Policies are put in place for a reason. It is important to not break rules especially when teaching youths and dealing with so many. Teachers should not have the burden of fight patrol. Our parents monitored our behavior from home and we knew that you don’t dare fight in front of an adult or in the classroom. It is a learning place not to be treated as a playground. We met after 3:00 to handle our differences on a playground. So parents stop being so quick to defend these youngsters but train them at home what proper behavior and respectful actions they should be taking to avoid trouble. Those that fought in the classroom deserve to be taken out of the environment.It endangers the life of other innocent people. I commend Richmond for trying to avoid another Columbine incident at his school. For those left in the dark these kids will take over the school and kill off anybody and everybody. Apparently they need stiff discipline and boundaries. Parents start parenting and stop blaming others for what is your responsibility. Teach self control,and the video king should have been seeking help to end the fight not seeking fame by taping. For his mom when you are in an awful position hope he has his camera handy to rescue you. We as alums want to see our alma mater carry on the respectful name and reputation we helped it to get through being well educated,helpful,caring and respectful students.
Some of the comments on this article is a bit much. Yes punishment is deserving but not the magnitude of expelling the kid. I also agree that the rift raft needs to be dealt with that is affecting the Shaker school system like cancer. None of these kids are the rift raft, the over whelming support they received from the TEACHERS AND PRINCIPLE on this matter supports that. Yes I understand that most of you are forming opinions on the article alone, but there is a WHOLE lot of under the rug mess going on. If this type of “power hungry, want to prove a point and make a name for myself”, behavior continues then the knew guy needs to be released.