Death blame does not rest with school or police

Editor,

After reading about the newest and by far the most disturbing lawsuit in the Leader, I am very dismayed. At what point in time did the responsibility for a child's safety move from the parents to an overburdened school system.

A system that has had and will always continue to have problems when trying to provide any form of discipline to a group that believes that any disciplinarian is biased against them. It is a horrible thing that these two boys had to pay the ultimate price for their parents' lack of control or knowledge of their child's activities.

What should have been a wake up call to these parents has become only another way in which they can tell the world that they are not responsible for the things that happen to them or that they do to themselves. For those of you who will inevitably be called to be a part of the jury for this suit, remember to think with your mind and not your heart. The death of the boys was terrible, but in no way is it the responsibility of the school or the school system to be the "police" for students who wish to skip.

Let us make it simple. If the school has no authority to discipline children who do not follow the rules, then they have no responsibility for the children's actions.

Dwayne Folden

Bozeman

Former Lake County student