We Don’t Want to Ruin Their Lives

A few years ago, 14 students at an affluent public high school were involved in a school break-in. They weren’t vandals and weren’t trying to steal anything. Their goal was to alter the computer records of their academic transcripts so they’d have a better chance of getting into premier colleges.

Some people were horrified, others amused, and still others treated the matter as a minor youthful indiscretion. The superintendent fell into the last category. “It’s a one-time infraction of the rules,” he declared, imposing a five-day suspension.

Corrected transcripts were sent to the colleges involved, but the schools weren’t told about the burglary or falsification of records. The reason? “The students were under a lot of pressure and made a mistake,” the superintendent said. “But we don’t want to ruin their lives. They learned their lesson.”

They learned a lesson all right. They learned that there’s little downside to doing whatever it takes to get what you want, even committing a felony. They learned that even if you get caught, you probably won't suffer serious consequences.

Come on! Suspending high school seniors for a week is a vacation, not a punishment.

This sort of excessive leniency sends a terrible message to kids about right and wrong. The superintendent then trivialized the act by calling it a “mistake.”

A mathematical error is a mistake. Forgetting someone's birthday is a mistake. Getting into a bad relationship is a mistake.

But breaking into a locked office to alter documents isn’t a mistake. It’s a premeditated act of dishonesty and should be treated as such. If that means the students may suffer long-term impact, so be it. That’s what justice requires and responsibility is about.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

*CharacterCounts.org