The Penn-Delco School board has spoken.
Sam Schmucker is out.
By a 6-3 vote, the board last night voted to expel the vice president of the senior class in the fallout from a physical confrontation with the director of the school play, "Annie." You can read our full story here.
Schmucker lost his part with the lead role of Daddy Warbucks. But he's probably involved in an even bigger drama now.
If you get the feeling we have not heard the end of this, you're not alone. Schmucker and his family are planning to be in court this morning to seek an injunction blocking the expulsion.
I will be on the radio this morning, along with my new columnist Chris Freind, to talk about the great Schmucker debate with Dom Giordano on WPHT 1210-AM at 9:30.
And I see Sam is going to be on the 'Good Day' show on Fox-29 this morning.
Swell.
This newspaper editorialized earlier this week our belief that what Schmucker did in confronting the director of the play after the man had another run-in with Sam's girlfriend was an over-reaction. The very next day Freind disagreed with that position in his column. He believes Schmucker's actions deserved the boot.
This morning, the truth is I don't have a big problem with the board's vote.
Sam Schmucker did the unthinkable. He put his hands on an authority figure. No, the director was not a teacher. Doesn't matter. You can't do it. Ever. The school has policies and Schmucker violated them. And, it was not his first dust-up in school. Last year he had a verbal altercation with a teacher.
Do I think this is a very tough lesson? Sure. Life is like that sometimes. Actions have consequences. Sam will still get a diploma from Sun Valley. He just won't be part of the senior class commencement, nor other activities, such as the prom.
It appears the board was just as divided as the district over this incident and the proper form of punishment for Schmucker, who has already served more than two weeks on suspension.
Last night after the vote, some Sun Valley students indicated they might walk out of school this morning in protest. I hope they don't.
Welcome to the real world, kids. Things don't always go the way you want, or the way you think is proper. There are certainly other way to get your point across without disrupting the school day.
"He's a teenager. They make mistakes," his mother said in urging the board not to expel her son.
She lost that battle, now she's hoping to win the war.
In court.
Of course.
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