When a student is absent from school a lot, it's usually a red flag that something bigger is going on. Something problematic -- like that child is up to no good. But it could also be something else. Seventeen-year-old Diane Tran is an honor student who is taking AP and college level classes at Willis High School in Texas. Her parents divorced and moved away, leaving her with her two siblings who she helps support by working a part-time job and a full-time job ... in addition to attending school.
So while she is struggling to make ends meet financially, she still maintained excellent grades and even has the positivity to say she has a "happy family." But because her school reported her excessive absenses to juvenille court, Tran was arrested, given a $100 fine, and forced to spend the night in jail.
Texas law states that if a student has over 10 absences, the school may report it to the courts. The case was given to judge Lanny Moriarty who quipped how it's just a little stay in jail one night -- it isn't a death sentence. I guess he feels jail is no big deal for a 17-year-old who in my eyes wasn't doing anything that deserved being thrown behind bars for 24 hours. He said: "If you let one run loose, what are you gonna do with the rest of 'em? Let them go, too?"
I'm outraged. For so many reasons.
Tran was crying when KHOU-11 interviewed her about this, but her friend and classmate Devin Hill spoke and said how she goes "from job to job from school" and "stays up until 7:00 in the morning doing her homework." That leaves little time for sleep, which is why Tran has so many "unexcused" absences. Still, I can't help but wonder why the school wasn't aware of her situation and tried to work something out instead of reporting this to the courts. Her parents seemingly abandoned her, and she lives with the family that owns the wedding venue where she works on weekends, and works really hard to help support her two siblings and she is just an 11th grader -- an 11th grade honor student at that.
Yes, she was warned in April not to miss more classes or be late, but she says sometimes she falls asleep and doesn't make it to school. Other times she makes it in but just after the bell rings so she is marked as tardy.
I'm not the only one upset by this. HelpDianeTran.com has raised almost $50,000 as of press time. And there is a petition to cancel her fine.
Diane is a remarkable teen -- doing so much in one day just to survive. She didn't deserve jail or a fine. The judge should re-consider and I hope her school is now fully aware of her situation and finds a way to make this work -- she has a whole senior year ahead of her and deserves to graduate without facing any issues.
What do you think of Diane Tran's story? Was the judge fair? Do you think the school should have done things differently?
Image via allistair/Flickr
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Comments 27
There is no room for common sense today. This idea of 'zero tolerance' doesn't allow for exceptions. But there will always be exceptions to the rule, times when common sense should prevail. Unfortunately, common sense is rare in our society today.
She is an amazing young lady and should be receiving support from the school/community and not punishment. (I never have understood punishing a student for absences when they are STILL able to maintain their good grades).
"If you let one run loose, what are you gonna do with the rest of 'em? Let them go, too?"
- As a judge, you judge them on a case by case basis, and since they are children, you help them however you can. If they are in an abusive home, you remove them from that situation, if they are struggling to care for a parent, you help connect them with social services to assist them so they can go to school. If they are goofing off and committing crimes, you throw their asses in jail. Seems pretty easy from over here. If she had been offered help or relief for her situation (and whatever you may think about social programs, young ambitious honors students deserve any and all help available) and still failed to show up for class then punish her.
Too many judges adhere to the letter of the law rather than the SPIRIT of the law. The letter of the law saws punish the kid, but the spirit of the law would take in account all that is going on and find a way to make it right.
The fault is really with the school, though. They know, or at least should know, this CHILD'S situation, the fact that she has taken on ADULT responsibilites in the absence of her parents. And C. Polk, how dare you say her siblings can do without?! She is working 2 jobs and, in this day and age that MIGHT cover your rent and groceries but not much else. She is probably working 2 jobs just to make sure her siblings don't starve!
Her parents should be jailed, not her.
Excuse me, "Dal", is it? I really, really do not think that your little remark about Texas was called for at all. Despite popular belief, not every resident is an ignorant redneck. How can you condemn this poor girl's school/judge for generalizing instead of using common sense, and then turn right around and do the exact same thing?
Oh, and as feel comfortable suggesting we Texans are ignorant hillbillies, the correct grammar would be "Why am I not surprised this is in Texas?"