STRIKE 1, YOU’RE OUT:Raven Furbert, 12, has four relatives in the military stationed in Iraq, including her uncle. To help her remember them, she wore a patriotic red, white and blue necklace, a Christmas gift. But officials at Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady, N.Y., told her the beaded necklace is contrary to the school’s dress code, which bans “gang-related” clothing. They said if she continued to wear it in any visible place, she would be suspended. When they discovered she was wearing the beads hidden — not visible — they told her to remove them. Furbert’s mother, Katie Grzywna, says the girl was previously a good student, but is now frequently targeted for detention, so she has filed a federal lawsuit against the school. “I’ll be really glad when this is all over,” Raven says. “I just want to wear them for my uncle” in Iraq. (Albany Times-Union) …Who, if you asked him, would say he’s there to fight for our freedoms.STRIKE 2, YOU’RE OUT:A drug dog doing a routine sniff of cars at R.E. Lee High School in Staunton, Va., alerted officers near a car parked by student body president Sam Dungan, 17. Officials demanded he let them search the car, but Dungan, the son of a defense attorney, called his dad instead. After all, it was his dad’s car, since his own was broken down. His father, James Dungan, arrived at the school and consented to a search, since “I don’t smoke marijuana, my wife doesn’t smoke marijuana and my son doesn’t smoke marijuana,” he told them. Bad idea: the search turned up a rusty Boy Scout knife and a bottle of cream liqueur, left in the car after a Christmas party. Good enough: Sam was suspended for five days for “possessing” a “weapon” and alcohol on campus. He also must attend alcohol counseling. (iWaynesboro News Virginian) …On the other hand, he may have a good malpractice case against his attorney.STRIKE 37, YOU’RE OUT:Susan Bartlett, 34, a teacher at Pine Grove Elementary School in Brooksville, Fla., was “out of control,” colleagues say. She allegedly yelled at colleagues, smoked pot at school, “burped loudly” in staff meetings, and called children “stupid” in class. Yet, the worst the school would do to her is enter a reprimand in her record — and extend her contract for another year. School officials finally took action when, in a staff meeting, Bartlett “pulled her pants down and showed her entire bottom to the whole group of teachers in the room,” an incident report says. The penalty? She was ordered to take a drug test. Bartlett refused that demand, saying there was a “lack of just cause,” and only then was she fired. (St. Petersburg Times) …The difference between the kids and the teachers: the kids don’t have a union.CAPED CRUSADER:Anders Mjelle, 22, is studying in Norway to become a pediatrician. While “practicing his signature during a prescription class,” he realized his signature “just wasn’t as cool as doctor signatures usually are,” he says. “So I tried signing with the name to my old hero of heroes, Batman. That was much better.” So much better that he has legally changed his middle name to Batman. “I believe being called Batman can definitely be something positive.” (Aftenposten)…Especially when dealing with Joker viruses, Riddler diseases and the inevitable Two Face bureaucrat.www.thisistrue.comIf the world were a logical place, men would ride sidesaddle. -Rita Mae Brown, writerRUMORS:We heard that Home Depot has bought property around the area of the Sante Fe development. We’ll be looking into it next month and let you know.
