Another story for our collection of paranoid public school administators with apparently too much free time on their hands (or too much power gone to their heads).
Link: Indiana High School's Purse Ban Rankles Students | cbs2chicago.com
CEDAR LAKE, Ind. (CBS) ― An Indiana high school is making a bold move to create a safer environment for students -- they've banned students from carrying bags including purses, during the school day. Female students are upset about the changes.
CBS 2 Northwest Indiana Bureau Chief Pamela Jones reports the principal and district administration of Hanover Central School in Cedar Lake would not discuss the matter.
But parents say the bag ban has actually part of the policy here for about three years. It's just being enforced now. Students are buzzing about a rule at the school that bans purses.
"It's kind of stupid," said junior Natalie Goetz.
They say the principal made an announcement on the first day of school notifying students that all purses -- and backpacks, for that matter -- would have to be left in lockers.
"They said that it was a threat to the students," Goetz said. "And that they needed to stay in the lockers."
"People even got yelled at for carrying fanny packs and too big of a pencil holder, which is ridiculous," said sophomore Emily Brown.
Kathryn Griffin has to return to her locker to get things she normally keeps in her bag, including personal hygiene items.
"We have that time of the month, so you know we need our purses," Griffin said.
With purses, they say they don't have the embarrassment of disclosing that information.
Student Kim Reppa is running for president of her class and says bagging the bags can lead to distractions in school.
"My purse was my source of organization," Kim Reppa, a sophomore, said. "And I held all my notebooks in there because it was easier for me to have them in my purse rather than go to my locker between every class."
"Those types of organizational skills will transfer when she goes to college. Very important," said Kim's mother, Denene Reppa. "And then she can keep her other things in there as well that kind of relate to her being a female."
Students say they haven't heard of any violent incidents that might have triggered the enforcement. But they do understand the need to make it harder to carry drugs or weapons.
And although the district wouldn't talk about any of this with CBS 2, they may have to answer to some parents at Tuesday night's school board meeting.
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