Arlee school board should be ashamed

Editor,

As a citizen of Montana and Lake County I am appalled with the blatant arrogance of the Superintendent and School Board of Arlee Schools. The last I checked it is against the law to provide alcohol to underage kids. Yet we have leadership at this school thumbing their noses at the community and the parents of the children involved.

In last week's Leader the Superintendent was quoted as saying that the Arlee school board's feeling was that "the only ones grieved in this process are the two teachers." He was speaking in reference to an appeal of their ruling by some parents of kids involved. Not once in this process have I read a thing about the students. Not once have I read a thing about the legality of what the teachers did. Not once has the board or the Superintendent went public with an outrage over their own teachers providing alcohol on a field trip. I would not permit my children to ever take a class from these two very poor examples of public servants.

I do not live within the boundaries of the Arlee school district but maybe the residents there should send a direct message to the board by voting down the upcoming school levy. Something must get their attention. Why have no charges been filed against these two for providing alcohol to minors? Where is the Lake County DA? Where is the state? Perhaps someone should contact the U.S. Attorneys office since this offense crossed state lines? Maybe the feds have an interest. It is beyond my comprehension that a school district anywhere, least of all in Montana, could respond in this way to such an offense against children.

What makes it worse is that Lake County in the past couple years has experienced more than its share of minors and alcohol and tragedy. Yet the so called leaders of this school arrogantly thumb their noses at the very people they serve to protect their own. If these two teachers had an ounce of integrity they would resign, as would the entire board involved. Let the people of Arlee have a chance to start over and get some real leaders for their children.

You should all be ashamed.

Ed Kugler

Big Arm

Editor's note: Because the alleged incidents took place outside of Lake County, the county attorney's office has no jurisdiction over the situation. The parents of one of the students involved, the Meidingers, have been unsuccessful in getting law enforcement in other jurisdictions to look into the situation, but the Lake County attorney's office cannot do anything about offenses that took place outside the county, even if they involve county residents