State Board sides with district

A State Board of Education administrative law judge has ruled that the New Hampton School Board was in its discreation when it suspended a high school student last year.Administrative Law Judge Nicole M. Proesch reached her decision recently, and New Hampton Superintendent Jay Jurrens will discuss the decision at Monday night’s School Board meeting.Jennifer Heying, the mother of Cole Roberson, appealed the School Board’s decision to suspend her son for violating the school’s drug and weapons policies to the State Board of Education.Heying argued that her son had not received due process, that the evidence against her son was not sufficient and that the board overstepped its own policy when it comes to weapons on school grounds.Proesch, though, sided with the School Board on all three questions.Roberson, who was referred to as “Student A” in Proesch’s opinion, was a junior at New Hampton High School last November when school officials learned he had allegedly sold marijuana to a freshman and had a “look-a-like” weapon in his car that was parked on school grounds.Board members first handed down the suspension for the remainder of the first semester on Nov. 16 after a hearing, which was open to the public.For the complete story see the 8/12/2016 New Hampton Tribune.