WASHINGTON 鈥� A parent of students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School says she鈥檚 urging continued support for Principal Donna Redmond Jones after her decision to bar six students from graduation ceremonies for showing up to prom drunk was overruled.
Jeanne Rossomme, who is the parent of a senior and sophomore at BCC, said Jones was right to ban the students from commencement.
鈥淎ll of the students were extremely clear on the policy and the consequences. There was no ambiguity at all,鈥� Rossomme said referring to Jones鈥� warnings that if students violated school policy on alcohol at the May 6 prom they could be barred from attending graduation.
That鈥檚 one reason Rossomme says she鈥檚 so puzzled 鈥� and frustrated鈥� by Montgomery County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Larry Bowers鈥� decision to reverse Jones’ decision and allow the students to participate in graduation.
鈥淭his was communicated clearly a long time ago. So if you had a problem with the policy, you had the opportunity to discuss it and voice your concern.鈥�
Bowers sent a letter home to parents late Friday 鈥� just before the long Memorial Day weekend 鈥� explaining why he was overruling Jones鈥� decision.
In this case, Bowers said his decision was 鈥渂ased on the individual circumstances of these cases.鈥� But he added, 鈥淭he Board of Education policy is clear that, as a matter of general practice, the exclusion from commencement ceremonies may not be included in local school policies regarding disciplinary standards and procedures.鈥�
Yet in the next sentence, the letter states: 鈥淗owever, principals retain the authority to exclude students from participation in commencement ceremonies for cause, on a case-by-case basis.鈥�
Speaking to 小萝莉影视 on Memorial Day, Rossomme said at this point, it鈥檚 unlikely that MCPS will change its position.
鈥淏ut I think the silver lining to this is that it鈥檚 sparked a big conversation,鈥� on the issues surrounding alcohol use by students especially as the June 1 graduation approaches, she said.
鈥淚 think all of us want to celebrate the graduation of our kids and their accomplishments and not get bogged down in a political debate.鈥�
But Rossomme said she has an eye toward the future.
鈥淚 have a sophomore, I have another child going through the high school, and we want to continue these efforts鈥� to address teen drinking and safety.
小萝莉影视 reached out to MCPS for comment. Derek Turner, public information officer for the school system, declined a request for a taped interview for broadcast. But he texted a message to 小萝莉影视 that Montgomery County has a policy 鈥渁gainst zero tolerance discipline.鈥� Regarding Bowers鈥� decision the text message said, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have anything further to add beyond the letter.鈥�
