Lasher
08-22-2002, 03:49 PM
Published: Thursday, August 22, 2002
Summer camp prank results in cheerleader being thrown off squad
By Marianne Love
Staff Writer
AZUSA - A mother's appeal to have her daughter remain on a cheerleading squad has gone unheeded by Azusa Unified School District trustees.
Board members decided to uphold an administrator's ruling removing Doreine Ramirez, 15, based on an initiation prank she and five other girls were involved in earlier this summer at a UCLA cheer camp.
"The board was not willing to overturn the decision of punishment put forward by the staff at Gladstone (High School)," board President Lisa Harrington said Tuesday. "I made a recommendation, (to overturn the punishment) but no one was willing to take action."
Trustees Jose Torres called the ruling fair and Rosemary Garcia said there was no need to vote on the closed-session matter because no action was taken.
Ramirez, an incoming junior and former member of the varsity team, and another girl were removed from the squad after they and some others toilet-papered the dorm room of the junior varsity girls and put eye shadow and eyeliner on the sleeping girls' faces and crackers and candy in their beds.
Last summer the varsity girls pulled a prank on the junior varsity and no consequences were handed out, Ramirez said.
Gladstone principal Scott Magnusson said he could not comment about a specific situation, but the final decision was based on the district's Student Diversity and Tolerance policy.
The policy, adopted May 15, protects students from hate-motivated behavior by creating a harassment-free school environment.
"There are situations that can come up in school, and in the community, where students or young people or adults are doing negative things to other people and they can be misconstrued," Magnusson said. "We were concerned about the fact that this was told to students a number of times not to do and they did it anyway in defiance. In terms of hazing at camp, that is not allowed. Six were disciplined and discipline varied depending on the involvement."
Of the six girls disciplined, two were kicked off the cheerleading squad. The two girls admit they were suspended from the team last year in an alcohol-related incident, but suffered the consequences, were put back on the team and promised that it would not be held against them in the future.
"The district says they made the proper decision," Doreine's mother, Lorraine Ramirez, said Wednesday. "I'm extremely disappointed, but life goes on. We are choosing to go to Glendora (Unified) School District, and I'm praying we will be accepted. No one deserves this treatment."
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/articles/0802/22/new09.asp
Summer camp prank results in cheerleader being thrown off squad
By Marianne Love
Staff Writer
AZUSA - A mother's appeal to have her daughter remain on a cheerleading squad has gone unheeded by Azusa Unified School District trustees.
Board members decided to uphold an administrator's ruling removing Doreine Ramirez, 15, based on an initiation prank she and five other girls were involved in earlier this summer at a UCLA cheer camp.
"The board was not willing to overturn the decision of punishment put forward by the staff at Gladstone (High School)," board President Lisa Harrington said Tuesday. "I made a recommendation, (to overturn the punishment) but no one was willing to take action."
Trustees Jose Torres called the ruling fair and Rosemary Garcia said there was no need to vote on the closed-session matter because no action was taken.
Ramirez, an incoming junior and former member of the varsity team, and another girl were removed from the squad after they and some others toilet-papered the dorm room of the junior varsity girls and put eye shadow and eyeliner on the sleeping girls' faces and crackers and candy in their beds.
Last summer the varsity girls pulled a prank on the junior varsity and no consequences were handed out, Ramirez said.
Gladstone principal Scott Magnusson said he could not comment about a specific situation, but the final decision was based on the district's Student Diversity and Tolerance policy.
The policy, adopted May 15, protects students from hate-motivated behavior by creating a harassment-free school environment.
"There are situations that can come up in school, and in the community, where students or young people or adults are doing negative things to other people and they can be misconstrued," Magnusson said. "We were concerned about the fact that this was told to students a number of times not to do and they did it anyway in defiance. In terms of hazing at camp, that is not allowed. Six were disciplined and discipline varied depending on the involvement."
Of the six girls disciplined, two were kicked off the cheerleading squad. The two girls admit they were suspended from the team last year in an alcohol-related incident, but suffered the consequences, were put back on the team and promised that it would not be held against them in the future.
"The district says they made the proper decision," Doreine's mother, Lorraine Ramirez, said Wednesday. "I'm extremely disappointed, but life goes on. We are choosing to go to Glendora (Unified) School District, and I'm praying we will be accepted. No one deserves this treatment."
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/articles/0802/22/new09.asp