Patch Asks: How Far Should Schools Go Monitoring Student Behavior?

Last week's headlines included two stories that touched on a discussion at Monday night's Watchung Hills Board of Education meeting.

Board President Robert Horowitz said the board's policy committee may consider a new policy regarding student violence outside of school activities. Consideration of the new policy stems from the Oct. 29 incident in Wayne in which nine Wayne Hills football players allegedly assaulted two Wayne Valley students.

The Wayne Hills students have been charged with aggravated assault, but for the last six weeks, school officials have wrestled with their response to the incident. The students were allowed to continue playing football for the state championship team through the playoffs—but school officials responded to public demands they not be allowed to play and were barred from playing in Saturday's title game (Wayne Hills won, nonetheless).

Initially, School Superintendent Michael Roth determined that the school did not have jurisdiction over the students' actions outside of school; he subsequently changed his position.

The school's board of education also switched on the ruling: first staying Roth's suspension, then lifting the stay.

An administrative law judge, and New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, ruled the students could be banned from playing.

Do you think banning the students was the right thing to do? Do school officials have an obligation to assume innocence until proven guilty for criminal charges stemming from events outside of school?

And do you think it wouldn't have been an issue if the students involved played for one of the school's less successful varsity teams?

Should Watchung Hills Regional adopt a policy clearly stating its policy on student actions outside of school?

Take our poll—and tell us what you think in the comments box below.