Student’s dad hands out fliers about rights

Published 11:05 pm Wednesday, September 5, 2007

EVERETT — The father of an Everett High School student who was suspended earlier this year handed out fliers to students Wednesday saying they should know their Constitutional rights during disciplinary hearings.

Robby Lewis of Seattle is president of a small group calling itself Legal Action Project for Student Rights. He spearheaded the move to pass out fliers in response to disciplinary action taken against his 14-year-old daughter, who attends the school.

In March, the girl handed out over-the-counter cold tablets to a friend, a violation of school policy and state law. At first she was expelled, and later suspended for the remainder of the school year.

“They have a Constitutional right to a fair hearing,” Lewis said Wednesday.

Earlier this year, Lewis filed a federal court lawsuit alleging that the girl didn’t get a fair shake. He asked a federal court judge to rule that the high school and Everett School District violated the girl’s rights.

Among other things, he alleged that the district should have offered the girl a less severe punishment than suspension for about three months.

District spokeswoman Mary Waggoner said nobody disputes that students have rights.

Those rights and student responsibilities are spelled out in a handbook given to students at the beginning of the school year, Waggoner said. Parents are expected to also know the contents and sign a paper that they have received the handbook, Waggoner said.

Lewis said his group is just starting, and he plans to return to hand out more fliers at another time.