By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: March. 9, 2013
The details are murky, but this much is known: About 30 international students gathered at the river to party during New Year’s Eve.
It was a typical raucous bunch of teenagers, and someone had brought liquor to celebrate the New Year.
The party ended with a sick girl, police call, and some say a rather too swift justice by School District 48.
The girl was sent packing to her native Chile within days of the incident, and several other international students were put on probation.
Now, at least one host family is speaking out the ‘authoritarian and archaic’ system of student discipline, reserved it seems only for international students.
The host family parent also fears the expelled student’s underlying health concerns were ignored and she was made a scapegoat for others to see.
“I feel ashamed to be part of an international program that treats students in our care as an example of punishment,” said Kerri Rode, who first alerted the Reporter about the incident.
Rode is a host family ‘parent’ who knew the expelled students through another student that stayed with the family.
Rode said the expelled girl was a bright considerate girl, and acted out of character during the the New Year’s Eve party.
She was extremely ashamed of her behavior, wanted to stay, and offered to do community service to atone for her mistakes.
Instead, she was kicked out of the country within days.
“These girls were not party girls at all,” Rode said.
“This can leave a psychological trauma on her entire life.”
Rode said she wants SD 48 to radically alter the way they discipline the students.
“Kathy Hutchinson brought restorative justice to this community, and we should continue that in our community, and especially our guests,” she said.
Rode also fears international students might not call the police or an authority figure if they find themselves in trouble.
Meanwhile, students who are put on probation remain on probation throughout the remaining term.
An international student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said students on probation live in perpetual fear of making a mistake.
Something as simple as being late for class can lead to expulsion if you are under probation.
SD 48 documents show there are 140 international students in the school system that collectively pump $1.68 million into the economy.
Amy Shoup, the program manager for international students for SD 48, refused to discuss the details of the expulsion, but said the decision was not taken lightly.
“The whole situation was looked at and all aspects were taken into consideration,” Shoup said.
She said the incident was followed by a ‘lot of investigation and a lot of meetings,’ and the decision was a result of a long process.
A friend of the expelled student, however, said it took them just three days to decide.
Patricia Marini says
Hopefully she will learn from this and others too! My child probably would have been expelled too—double standaed?
adam says
It sounds like she got drunk underage and made an error. I am sure we have all done that. She will certainly remember the mistake her whole life. It’s a little on the strict side and a different angle of discipline could have been used. Remember how many students get bullied when they don’t take part and act cool. I am not condoning anything but there are reasons young kids drink….peer pressure is one of them. Do we ask all visitors partying in Whistler to leave Canada when things go a little sideways?
Sue says
Sounds like Ms. Rode’s response is suspect. As a host family “parent,” why is she alerting the reporter of the incident? “I think she doth protest too much!” A responsible adult response would be to take up her issues with the authorities who selected her to be involved with the foreign students. There are objectives, policies, and rules agreed upon by host families, students, and their parents, long before they come to our town. It should be reassuring to the families that responsible adults would follow these guidelines, set limits, be aware of their activities and ensure they are safe. It is essential that students are accountable for their actions, and risky behaviour will not be tolerated, and there will be logical consequences to their actions.
Bravo, Amy Shoup and team, the lovely young woman in Chile is fine, I am sure, and hopefully her cohorts understand that fear is not the appropriate response, but they should understand the message they were given. When adults make excuses for them, no learning occurs, especially if the adult has been irresponsible herself!
Kerri Rode says
I also had issue as well with going to a reporter, but after sending Ms. Shoup a long email voicing my concerns about numerous issue, not just the New Years Eve incident. (One issue being how my student had come to our family from another host family that had been restricting her food). Ms Shoup only responded with a very short, curt response. I found this very “irresponsible” of an educational administrator. I spoke to other home stay parents about my frustration with the lack of open communication from the program. Many had the same concerns but did not want to speak out in fear of “not being included” in the program as host parents. I along with 30 other homestay parents let our students go out on New Years Eve. I did not and do not condone youth drinking. What I also do not condone is one youth being singled out of 30 to take the fall for all. And what is the lesson the students learned? Don’t call the authorities next time if you think someone needs help!. Yes, I agree it is essential for youth to be accountable for their actions, but at what cost? And before you “Bravo” Amy Shoup and her team, I personally know that the girl is not fine. And it is not the drink she had and the food poisoning that she had that night, rather it is the cruel and shameful way our Squamish International Program treated and sent her home that has affected her life. What will she remember of Canada, of Squamish? It wont be that we are a caring, progressive society that incorporates restorative justice into our programs. The ideology of crime and punishment is archaic and ineffective. I care about this girl, and I care about the lasting impression that the students will have about Squamish and Canada.
Gagandeep, feel free copy the email I sent to the International Program below (vetting students names of course).
Sue says
In response:
Crime and punishment archaic??? Ms Rode please read the latest about the “basically good youths” involved in pranks during the hockey riot. Their punishment was not strict or archaic, and the lenient restrictions imposed were laughable, apparently even to the offenders!! I wonder what you would have suggested… A slap on the wrist, I’m guessing.
The traumatized girl has been on a cruise to help her recover, and happily writes back regularly, the so called reported harm is teen gossip, get your facts straight.
D says
Good for SD48. For once a teenager actually had to take ownership for their actions and suffered the consequences instead of just writing an “I’m sorry” essay. The expelled kid will have two choices: 1. Learn from it and move on. 2. Make this an excuse for everything that doesn’t go their way for the rest of their life. Who knows. International students are privileged to be here – with any luck, this will give other students a moment of pause when they too are about to make a stupid choice. CHOICE being the operative word here. Our society makes way too many excuses for kids these days – especially teenagers – and then we wonder why they’re as self-centered, in compassionate adults still living with mom and dad into their 30’s. Nothing wrong with learning some life lessons to help you GROW UP.
adam says
D, what about all the working visitors in Whistler? Do we kick them all out of Canada if they get arrested for drunken behavior in the Village? Nope. They get to stay and are older so you could argue they also know better when making the choice to drink and act like idiots. Where do we draw the line? I think the lesson could have been learned while staying in Canada.
janet says
I agree with Adam… Local students get counselling and a chance to come back to school if they make a mistake, and international students are sent packing home. Wow, talk about double standards !
International students are nothing more than a cash cow…Shame on SD 48, and kudos to Kerri for speaking up !