Students should pay the price
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Arguments have spilled over into the courtroom on whether some suburban Chicago high schoolers should have their suspensions rescinded, after taking part in a violent hazing incident.
In short, it's sad that some students who displayed such cruel behavior toward their peers can't face the music and accept the consequences.
The all-too familiar videotape has been broadcast nationally and around the world, showing senior girls clad in yellow rugby-type shirts tossing paint, garbage and even feces on their junior counterparts.
There are some on the videotape whom prosecutors can clearly identify as having participated in these deplorable acts. Those are the ones who should own up to their behavior and accept their punishment.
One deal on the table for the suspended students is to have them get counseling and perform community service, along with not fighting expulsion from the school and not being able to capitalize on this incident through a movie or book offer. In return, the students can still graduate on time.
That's a more than fair offer for those who have given a black eye not just to their school, but to the majority of hard-working teens who are already productive members in their communities.