On the other hand I find distasteful the author chose in the last paragraph to lump “pro life” in with those who are “anti woman”. Do not confuse those who are for the preservation of life with those who are for the suppression of human rights on the basis of gender. The school’s decision is not about abortion, it’s about holding male above female in a vain philosophical hold-over from the fading days of a male-centric society.

-D

I hear an ADA lawsuit a-comin’.

As for whether the boy admitted it or not, couldn’t the school officials simply ask him?

Unless, of course, his family is a lot richer than hers. It’s his family who wants the DNA test? ….hmmm.

More than likely, there is MUCH more to this story than we’ve been led to believe.

St. Jude Principal Johnny Mitchell said he is not penalizing Cosby because she is pregnant. No, he is concerned for her safety. “St. Jude’s classes are held on two floors, but the school does not have elevators.”?

And the ’safety reasons’ now defined. What a crock of horseshit. I’m just about 20 weeks myself and go up and down the stairs all the time just fine. That’s ridiculous.

While she said he initially came forward to school officials and said he was the father, Cosby said his family is encouraging him to get a DNA test after the baby is born to establish paternity. “I don’t have a problem with that,” she said.

Hmmmm, his family is encouraging him to get one, not him saying he needs to get one. Interesting. If ya’ll are still willing to state that it’s questionable whether they had sex or not, then I think that there is some serious ostriching for sake of point making going on that is pretty darn pedantic.

“In asking for a paternity test, the boy has done the equivolent of admitting to sleeping with the girl.”?

Not necessarily. If he isn’t certain the kid is his, then yes, he would have had to have slept with her. But even if he didn’t sleep with her, there is no way to prove it, so all he could do is prove that the kid isn’t his through a paternity test.

I don’t think that punishing the girl because the consequences of sexual activity are visible is necessarily hypocritical.

He admitted to having sex with her, didn’t he? Isn’t that why the paternity test is necessary, because he’s accusing her of sleeping with other boys?

Handy little theory you have there and nice how men are automatically excluded from getting caught.

Monday 23rd May 2005 - 6:37:08 PM

Via Amp, did you hear about the girl who was supposed to be valed [...]

Although I’m not actually being serious. They could do it, though. It’s a private school.

And if they think it’s okay for boys to have sex, but not girls, then it logically follows that the boys must have sex with each other. Cool! Do I get to watch?

Not necessarily. If he isn’t certain the kid is his, then yes, he would have had to have slept with her. But even if he didn’t sleep with her, there is no way to prove it, so all he could do is prove that the kid isn’t his through a paternity test.

I don’t think that punishing the girl because the consequences of sexual activity are visible is necessarily hypocritical. Whenever you punish someone, you only punish the people whom you can catch. It may be unfair, but that is not the same thing as hypocrisy.

On the other hand, it does seem hypocritical that they try to rationalize it as a safety concern; and if their real goal is simply avoiding embarassment, it is hypocritical of them to portray their concerns as moral ones.

All-in-all, I do agree though that banning her from commencement was not hte best way to deal with this. Also, policies like this do create perverse incentives, abortion-wise.

The school had at least five different ways to deal with this without singling out the female student for Scarlet Letter style humiliation while ignoring the putative father. What I took from the Scarlet Letter, whether intended or not, is that while privately imposed punishment might absoleve one of the sexual sin, it doesn’t expiate the sin of taking responsibility for one’s actions. The school chose the single most punitive “solution,” without even acknowledging that there were two parties at fault and which, conveniently, tried to spare the school embarrassment. This student deserves all kinds of accolades for showing the school’s spineless pseudo-moralizing for what it is.

And in fact, it does appear to be a he said, she said situation. According to a story in the Montgomery Advertiser, the school says they don’t know who the father is. Ms. Cosby says it is a particular boy at the school. Ms. Cosby says the boy has asked for a paternity test once the baby is born, which she says she is fine with. Since the school can’t prove that the boy is the father, but they can prove that Ms. Cosby is pregnant, their actions appear to be correct.

In asking for a paternity test, the boy has done the equivolent of admitting to sleeping with the girl.

On his part, it’s outrageous behavior. But it isn’t outrageous behavior for the school not to punish him, unless they can PROVE he is lying and decide not to punish him anyway.

OR, if it really is about sex, since they punished the (sexually active) mother but not the (sexually active) father, the sin they are punishing is not male sex but female sex. Therefore, the Catholic Church must believe that male homosexuality is OK, as it’s the only sexual relationship that doesn’t involve a woman.

Add to this their oft-stated insistance that sex is only OK between married couples, and the Catholic Church must support gay marriage. (And a homosexual couple would never need to use “sinful” birth control.)

OR, since they punished her because she was pregnant, and if she’d had an abortion they never would have found out that she was pregnant, they have greater penalties for “choosing life” than for having an abortion. Therefore, the Catholic Church must believe abortion is a better choice than pregnancy.

Isn’t logic wonderful?

And, Barbara: “Head dipshit?” I love it!

And in fact, it does appear to be a he said, she said situation. According to a story in the Montgomery Advertiser, the school says they don’t know who the father is. Ms. Cosby says it is a particular boy at the school. Ms. Cosby says the boy has asked for a paternity test once the baby is born, which she says she is fine with. Since the school can’t prove that the boy is the father, but they can prove that Ms. Cosby is pregnant, their actions appear to be correct.