This is fucking stupid.

[Hugo Chavez]

Fuck, when we missed class back in the day, the worst we had to worry about was what our parents would do if they found out.  Now kids get tossed in jail for it?  Shit is changing


Honor student placed in jail for tardiness and truancy at school.

HOUSTON-A judge threw a 17-year-old 11th grade honor student from Willis High School in jail after she missed school again. Judge Lanny Moriarty said last month Diane Tran was in his Justice of the Peace court for truancy and he warned her then to stop missing school. But she recently missed classes again so Wednesday he issued a summons and had her arrested in open court when she appeared. Tran said she works a full-time job, a part-time job and takes advanced placement and dual credit college level.... continued in the video linked below....

Yahoo Story

[Irongrip400]

Hey, follow the rules or suffer the consequences.

[Shockwave]

This is rediculous. What happened to parental punishment.
Its stupid for the state to fucking try and punish kids with time for not going to school.

[Roger Bacon]

Going to Jail for not going to school?



Am I missing something?

[Dos Equis]

Not sure what I think about this.  On one hand, it's arguably a waste of resources.  On the other hand, sending a message to kids early could help prevent them from being a burden on society later. 

[Roger Bacon]

"Q: What must a parent, guardian or caretaker do after being notified that a student is truant?

A. The parent, guardian, or caretaker must see to it that the student attends school immediately. If this does not happen, the school may require the person who is responsible for the student to attend a parental education program or the school may file a complaint against the parent, guardian or caretaker in juvenile court. "

That is fucking hilarious!!!

My children won't step foot in a public school.  

[Roger Bacon]

"Q: What consequences are there for students who drop out or are habitually truant?
A: Although most truancy laws impose a penalty on the parent or guardian of the student, state law also imposes a direct consequence on a student by suspending the driving privileges of any student who drops out of school or is habitually absent. When a student withdraws from school entirely for any reason other than a change of residence and is not attending any other school, the school district is obligated to report this fact to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles and the juvenile court. The Registrar will then suspend the student’s driver’s license or permit or deny issuance of a license or permit if it has not been issued yet. This suspension will be in effect until the student turns 18 or until the superintendent informs the Registrar that the student is now attending school."


These truancy laws are insane. 

[Dos Equis]

After reading more about this I think it's wrong.  Definitely doesn't sound like the kind of kid who needs to be sent a message. 

Group raises more than $70G for Texas honor student jailed for truancy
Published May 30, 2012
FoxNews.com

A Louisiana group has raised more than $70,000 for a 17-year-old Texas honor student jailed for missing too much school because she worked two jobs to support her siblings.

Diane Tran, an 11th-grade honor student at Willis High School near Houston, was sent to jail for 24 hours last week by Judge Lanny Moriarty and ordered to pay a $100 fine for excessive truancy.

It's unclear how many days Tran missed, but state law reportedly permits only 10 absences in a six-month period.

Tran, who works full-time at a dry-cleaning business and part-time for a wedding planner, has been supporting her brother and sister since her parents separated and her mother moved away.

Houston Councilman Al Hoang and others have roundly criticized the judge, saying he should have used some discretion in the honor student's case.

"I’m going to ask the judge to expunge the record," Hoang told FoxNews.com. "The truancy laws should be applied case by case, and in this case it should not be applied. I believe Judge Moriarty should have used his discretionary power to excuse her from this matter."

Since the girl's story went viral, hundreds of people have rallied to raise money for the teen, including one group, Louisiana Children's Education Alliance, which said Wednesday it had raised more than $70,000 for Tran.

The group, which created a website called HelpDianeTran.com, has received donations from 47 states and 13 foreign countries for the girl.

"I think this story of a student who's obviously working so hard and is being taken advantage of by the system just touches your heart strings and it affects a lot of people," the group's president, Charlie Davis, said Wednesday in an interview with Fox News.

"I think Diane unfortunately is at the center of two failed systems in America -- our public education system and our judicial system," he said.

Davis said he hopes Tran uses the money for her family and for her college education. "The rest of the world is on her side," he said.

Tran, who is considered an adult under Texas state law, was issued a summons on May 23 for truancy after she missed classes. She was arrested in open court and ordered to spend 24 hours at the Montgomery County Jail for truancy, which is considered a misdemeanor. The ruling came after the teenager was issued a warning by a judge last month about her absences.

Judge Moriarty told KHOU 11 News that he intended to make an example of Tran by placing her in jail.

"If you let one run loose, what are you going to do with the rest of them? Let them go, too?" Moriarty told the station.

Houston defense attorney Ned Barnett, however, called the ruling shocking and said the girl likely spent the night surrounded by "every type of criminal that exists."

"It doesn’t take much discretion to have sympathy for Miss Tran," Barnett said. "To lock her up is just outrageous."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/30/group-raises-more-than-70g-for-texas-honor-student-jailed-for-truancy/?test=latestnews