A boy's backpack with an illustration of a bikini-clad woman is turning into a testosterone-fueled “Clash of the Titans”—only these “Titans” involve a grade-school dad and Land O’ Lakes area school principal in a battle of good versus evil.
Dad Fred Ferrer says school Principal Ken Miesner has gone too far in restricting his 9-year-old son, Quentin, from wearing his backpack to Richey Elementary, a grade school overseen by the Pasco School District in Florida state. The principal claims that Quentin Ferrer’s backpack is supposedly causing a disruption at Richey Elementary, though description of that disruption hasn’t exactly been clarified—and it doesn’t seem to actually have to do with the school, its students or teachers.
The “disruption” may be a personal one—likely an earful that the principal is getting from an irritated mother of a Kindergartener.
The principal says the backpack’s illustration isn't appropriate for an elementary school setting—while Quentin’s in the fourth grade, the principal cites the idea that preschoolers as young as 3 years old attend the same school. The principal’s argument that 3-year-olds attend the school is, of course, a bit ridiculous: obviously other common illustrations sported by the older kids would not commonly be considered “appropriate” for the 3-year-old age set.
The Richey Elementary principal admits the backpack issue is a new controversy for him to handle: "I've never had to deal with an inappropriate backpack before," the principal says. The backpack’s only recently become “inappropriate” according to the school principal.
In fact what makes this backpack issue rather bizarre extends far beyond the idea that Richey Elementary actually has no rule in place that specifically applies to backpacks and appropriateness—the really weird part is that neither the backpack, or its use, are new to the school: Ferrer’s fourth-grade age kid has actually been using the same backpack, at the same school, for over two years—with no issue at all, and never a word from teachers or school administration.
Of course, the start of the problem goes back to two age-old issues and adages: “you (truly) can’t please all of the people all of the time” and “there’s bound to be one in every bunch”. In this instance, it appears that the two adages have combined to create one very large “earful” for the principal. It seems that a parent of a (get this) Kindergarten-age student took note of Ferrer’s backpack’s illustration, in turn complained to a school secretary—and the gossip cycle seems to have spun into full effect: teachers were notified, and the issue ended up with the Richey Elementary principal.
Richey Elementary School Principal, Miesner, actually claims he was unaware of the backpack’s illustration until the complaint, but (supposedly) once the backpack was pointed out to him, claims he is “obligated” to take action. Either that, or he doesn’t want a continued “earful”. Parents might prefer to believe that the principal’s statement regarding unawareness of a backpack--after two years—would be a fabrication versus what would be a very alarming lack of awareness on behalf of a school official.
Dad Ferrer says he learned about the complaint, and principal's decision and backpack ban, Friday—but sent his son back to school on the next school day with the questionable accessory in tow: "I sent him [my son] to school on Monday with the backpack," dad says. Ferrer says the principal’s threatened to suspend the fourth-grader over the backpack. The school principal claims that Richey Elementary’s said no such thing--and isn't considering suspending the boy, but the principal says he’s “firm” on his “ruling” that the backpack’s illustration is “inappropriate”.
In the meantime, someone in particular better have proof of a previously-instituted policy—and proper distribution to parents of that policy. If neither of those occur, the school had better remain aware of a discrimination lawsuit simply waiting in the wings. The Richey Elementary school’s principal seems to be creating his own “game plan” as things progress: the administrator now says the Ferrer boy is allowed to wear the backpack in question to Richey Elementary School, but then must bring that backpack to the office when he arrives at all. The child is then supposed to remove and carry his books and supplies to class from the office, and then later pick up the backpack at the end of each school day.
The strangeness of the request has not gone unnoticed—and it’s got ‘Dad’ up in arms: he says the principal’s plan, of his son toting supplies and leaving the backpack in the school office, is not acceptable. The elder Ferrer’s taken the backpack issue to Pasco County School Board members but didn’t get too far—the Board references the elementary school district's general “Dress Code”, a code which gives each school principal the final word on what is deemed “appropriate” for clothing-related items at the school.
School Board members refuse to intervene, even after Ferrer openly spoke at a Board Meeting. It seems Pasco School District Board Members don’t want to touch the Richey Elementary backpack issue—not even with a ten-foot pole: "We have given the [Richey Elementary School] principal that authority [about the Ferrer child’s backpack] and he has made his decision" Fred Ferrer says he was told by School Board Chairman Allen Altman. Ferrer says he even tried speaking to the superintendent—but the school’s not backing off of the newly-imposed backpack ban for his kid.
Ferrer’s take—on his son’s backpack and use--is that any cleavage shown in the backpack’s illustration is no worse than those sported by other kids: cartoon characters like Betty Boop offer the same cleavage shot, argues Ferrer, who says his son’s backpack illustration additionally is not pornographic and does not show drugs, weapons or violence. Fred Ferrer says the backpack illustration is art. In Ferrer’s defense and despite personal opinion, there probably aren’t a lot of illustrations that would both please the mom of a Kindergarten age kid and be cool for a fourth-grader to carry—one of those options to please the former might be Winnie the Pooh or Tinkerbell, neither of which is going to cut it for a fourth grade boy.
What the Richey Elementary School principal is calling “inappropriate” could also be under fire: attempting to define “inappropriate” pretty much goes back to the age-old “obscenity” issue, definition and pertinent rights having plagued both courts and judges for many years. If Principal Miesner was able to experience such an instantaneous revelation as to defining appropriateness in less than one day, the man apparently has a leg up on the courts—perhaps his career would better be served with the Courts. Or, perhaps not.
It seems Miesner was able to make that “appropriate” versus “inappropriate” decision very quickly—after receiving a complaint about the backpack's illustration from a Kindergartener’s parent.
Richey Elementary School, and its school district, have got some potential problems in the legal arena which could cause a quandary: first, the code which both Richey and Pasco school district cite in their defense actuallly refers to a “Dress Code”; without specific wording and reference to accessories like backpacks, the middle school could run into a legal issue if things get hairy enough to head to Court.
Secondly, the principal and school administration allowed the Ferrer boy to use the identical backpack over the previous two-year period, but it’s also acknowledged that it happened. The principal additionally and separately admits that he is only taking action, pertaining to the backpack, now because of a parent complaint; the insinuation being is that administration would not be taking any action without the “obligation” the principal claims he holds after receiving a complaint. If the school and its district are arguing that the backpack is part of a policy, then a policy should be enforced at all times, not simply when a complaint from an outside party is received.
As of now ‘Dad’ vows this backpack issue is not over: "He will wear his backpack," to school, says Ferrer. In the meantime, Richey Elementary Principal Miesner says that the backpack will be confiscated--if the student brings it in classrooms again, and doesn’t follow the crazy, new front office “policy” of leaving the pack, the backpack will be confiscated. The elder Ferrer’s circumvented that potential issue, at least for now, by attaching a "censored" patch over the “offending” part of the illustration.
Fueling the male testosterone with yet more, Ferrer’s threatening to take it up a notch: rather than playing it smart and choosing the argument that backpacks would not be part of the “Dress Code” ‘jurisdiction’, ‘Dad’ is instead saying he’s considering sending his son to school dressed in shirts he considers appropriate, but which school officials might find objectionable.
In what seems to be a race in reaching greatest stupidity levels, the principal says that--if the elder Ferrer sends his son to school in borderline attire—the Ferrer boy will be asked to turn his shirt inside-out, or provided alternate attire by the school.
"This will turn into a circus," says Ferrer. Apparently Ferrer’s missing a pertinent fact here: it already is a 3-ring, cleavage included.