high school students suspended for riding bikes to school

[Veronica]

I've been told that the school district is repsonsible for the students from the time they leave their door until they return home. I suspect that somebody, somewhere sued a school district over something that happened en route and won.

Veronica

[Eden]

I've been told that the school district is repsonsible for the students from the time they leave their door until they return home. I suspect that somebody, somewhere sued a school district over something that happened en route and won.

Veronica

That sounds quite ridiculous... are they then responsible for parents who get into accidents while driving their kids to school? Or is that OK because they are being delivered directly from their parent's supervision to the school's?

Do we really think that 16-17 year olds require that level of protection? We give kids that age the ability to get a drivers license. In many states you can be legally emancipated at that age - yet a school district can say you cannot choose the method you use to travel to school......

And what about after school... my parents worked. I can't remember how far back it was when I was home alone after school for at least an hour or two. What did I have to do - walk in my front door first... then I could go for a bike ride (I started doing long solo rides when I was about 14) or walk to the store or to the library? Or was the school supposedly responsible for me until I said hello to my folks? Was I violating the law for years by walking an unsanctioned path home or stopping at a friends house!

I can understand if you ride a school provided school bus, that once you get on that bus you are then their responsibility until you get off, but in places where the school isn't providing that service IMHO it's then up to the parents and the kids what they feel is the right way to go, be it bike, walk, public bus or being dropped off.

[Veronica]

Oh, I totally agree it's ridiculous. But we had a principal a few years ago who told us that when we had kids vandalizing property as they walked back and forth to school.

Veronica

[salsabike]

I've been told that the school district is repsonsible for the students from the time they leave their door until they return home. I suspect that somebody, somewhere sued a school district over something that happened en route and won.

Veronica

I am guessing this is true--not a school district choice, but one stemming from case findings.

[goldfinch]

I am guessing this is true--not a school district choice, but one stemming from case findings.

I seriously doubt it. My guess is that they are responsible only if they transport the kids. If they transport then they took on the duty and thus the responsibility of insuring safe transportation.

If the bike ride was sanctioned by the school then maybe there could be some responsibility on the part of the school. But it wasn't. If the school uses crossing guards then maybe there is a claim if the crossing guards are negligent. But that also wasn't an issue here. The school just can't be responsible for what it has no control over.