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Local News

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

School undeterred by media attention
Diamond Mine Direct
With members of the media stationed nearby, Heritage Christian School held classes as usual Monday, the first day of Tyler Frost's suspension for attending the Findlay High School prom last weekend.

At least one radio station incorrectly reported classes had been canceled, but a school secretary told The Courier they were being held as scheduled.

Frost, a senior at Heritage Christian, was punished by the school for attending the prom because it involved dancing and hand holding, which are forbidden by the school.

On Monday morning, 92.5 KISS FM, based in Toledo, broadcast what it termed "a live protest" from the Great Scot supermarket parking lot across the street from Heritage Christian, 2000 Broad Ave. Two television stations were also airing shows from the parking lot.

Prohibited from attending classes, Frost, 17, stood across the street from the school he had gone to since kindergarten to be interviewed by the media outlets.

His girlfriend, Findlay High student Rebecca Smoody, showed up in the parking lot later in the morning to support him.

Frost told WTOL-TV in Toledo that he did not regret going to the prom.

"Yea! I had a good time. I still think the punishment is a little overboard, but I guess I'm ready to face the punishment now," said Frost.

He told the Courier that although it was "loud," he certainly did not hear any music he hasn't heard before.

Frost said his only regrets were for his classmates who may now be receiving "unfair" judgment for attending Heritage Christian or for their beliefs.

Frost and his stepfather Stephan Johnson left Findlay later Monday to fly to New York City to appear on CBS' The Early Show this morning.

Frost's decision to attend the dance in the face of the suspension became a national and international story last weekend and has been on major news Web sites, including Fox News, Yahoo and AOL News.

In an unofficial poll of nearly 217,000 users of aol.com at 8 p.m. Monday, 91 percent said "thumbs down" to the Heritage Christian School's suspension of Frost.

His suspension will keep him from attending the school's graduation ceremony, but he will be able to receive his diploma after completing his final exams, Heritage Christian Principal Tim England said.

Findlay High School Principal Craig Kupferberg said Monday the prom went on without incident.

He said a total of 669 students attended the prom, including 99 guests. That number is down from recent proms, but he offered no speculation on the reason for that other than he did not believe it had anything to do with the controversy.

"It was one of the better proms for me. I didn't have to wear a jacket and tie." All the chaperones wore Hawaiian shirts to go with the prom's beach theme.
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98 Comments (10 pages)

Latest comments listed first.
Owner wrote:
HCS
“ Let it go! There are mistakes made by both parties. Should a school have the right to dictate what happens off of school property fuction? No!
Mr. England screwed up by signing the slip that this student was in good standing at the school. As 17 year old child, I would've taken that as permission. We have to stop and think as a young adult would in this case. When I had a child at HCS we followed the rules at school and during school fuctions. I wore a longer skirt to basketball games etc. But I am the parent, I decide what is right in my own home. God gave me my children.
There are so many different levels to being a Christian. We all need to be like Jesus and forgive. We all fall short as humans. I have always allowed my children to explore their own faith. One is Catholic, which is fine with me. She tries very hard to live by the word.
Services are different at all churches. We just need to come together and share in God's word.
The old school hand book I have doesn't say anything about what you do outside of school hours and school activities.
HCS doesn't have a prom they have a jr/sr dinner.
While I decided to pull my child from the school, I did like the k4-5th.
Going so public was a huge slap in the face. Kissing your girl friend right in view of the school during a big protest, would be like flipping the bird to the school. That was wrong.
I think there are so many hurt feelings right now, no one can see things clearly. ”
Thursday, May 21, 2009 1:53:51 PM
MOM OF 2 wrote:
Steve
“ I went to a private Catholic school growing up and I am glad the rules were not like the rules this school has set forth. The only thing is, if the contract actually stated that it is not permitted to do those things anytime of anyday 24/7 to attend the school. I guess we will never find that out, unless we actually had that contract in front of us to read. But I do understand what you are saying as well, which is true! ”
Thursday, May 21, 2009 9:27:28 AM
Steve wrote:
By the way
“ "Schools rules do NOT apply outside of school and definitely at non-school functions involving that particular school."

If I might add, if the PRIVATE contract states the rules apply at all times they definately may apply outside of school. It's called choice. The choice of the parent to sign the PRIVATE contract stating such. ”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:14:13 PM
Steve wrote:
MOM
“ Come on, how difficult is it to understand that if all the parties signed a PRIVATE contract, PRIVATE code of conduct, PRIVATE agreement, or whatever term you wish to use following the word PRIVATE, that set forth a method of behavior to be observed by all students attending this PRIVATE school, then it is most definately enforcable offsite and outside school hours. It is PRIVATE, not your business, not the Courier's, not the city, state or federal government's... You as an outsider have no legal standing to begin a petition drive, letter writing campaign, or any other initiative to change this PRIVATE school's rule book (assuming you are not a member of Calvary Baptist Church) as you may with your local PUBLIC school.

This is a PRIVATE school. Discipline is one of the many reasons why people choose to send their kids to any PRIVATE school.

I don't agree with the rule. My children would never have been admitted (if I had tried) to this PRIVATE school because there is no chance I would have signed such an agreement. I have fundamental disagreements with the way this church and PRIVATE school believe. However, As a PRIVATE school they have every right to dictate behavior in and out of school. Students of PRIVATE schools are at risk of expulsion, and less severe discipline for breaking rules they have agreed to. This happens in only the most severe of cases with PUBLIC school students. While the punishment in this case is severe Mr. Frost is lucky not to have been explelled without opportunity for his diploma for breaking the rules he agreed to and wanton and willfully disobeyed. ”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:08:40 PM
MOM OF 2 wrote:
Im with Jessica York
“ Jessica is clearly right. This was a contract between the student/parent and school. Schools rules do NOT apply outside of school and definitely at non-school functions involving that particular school. I understand this school has it value and such, but they can not apply there rules and standards to all the children when they are supposed to be on there weekend away from school. So I agree with Jessica. The school is in fault. Also, Mr. England is in fault for signing the slip stating that Frost could attend the Prom. If it was such a no no and in there rule book, he should have stated to Frost that it is against school policies, and he would not be able to sign the form. Signing the form stated that Frost could go. There should have been no strings attatched about being suspended. That is how ignorant this story it. People are standing up for a school where it is the principles wrong doing in the first place, not the boys. ”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:22:00 AM
JEFF wrote:
honor your word
“ So Jessica, do you only honor your word to your spouse or other during the time you are with them? Honoring your word and committments are 24/7. ”
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 8:18:12 AM
Steve wrote:
The key is it's a private school Jessica.
“ Sorry Jessica, This is about a private school. A private matter in which two parties entered into an agreement, a contract.

It doesn't matter whether it's Christian, military, secular, or whatever, its private. The agreement is a contract plain and simple. If you choose to send your child to a private school you and the kids are expected to live by the the school's rules, otherwise like I said previously the local public school is an option.

The private school has no obligation whatsoever to accept your kid, the public school does.

I know it's a difficult subject but Mr. Frost and step dad steve are in the wrong. Once again, I don't agree with the rule, however when you sign a contract and give your word the honorable thing to do is live up to the agreement. That didn't happen here.

Mr. England is just as much in the wrong for signing the form required for Mr. Frost to attend the prom. He knew the rules as well. By signing the form I think it can be argued he broke the contract as well. ”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 10:45:37 PM
A Family from Alabama wrote:
Tyler Frost
“ To Jessica York: I stand by my previous statement (Friday, May 15, at 4:22am) "that with two weeks of classes left plus two more days until graduation, maybe Mr. England decided to let Tyler have until last Saturday evening to make his own adult decision about what he would do." If Mr. England and HCS were so much into controlling other people (as your previous posts would indicate that you believe), then he would have NOT signed the form at all. But what then? The fuss would be about the fact that it was not a "permission slip." Although the overall furor might have been less. Mr. England really was in a "no win" position. After Tyler & Mr. Johnson took the story public, then HCS and Tyler were both in a "no win" position. If for some reason (short of being in the hospital or something) Tyler had decided, even of his own accord, to not go to the prom -- then there would have been even more fuss, than there is now, over the fact that HCS had "forced Tyler" into not going. HCS and, hopefully, all schools (of whatever stripe) are trying to teach self-control, but there is at least as many different places to "draw the line" as there are schools.

Even if the HCS Student Handbook did not specifically say "prom held at another school," the idea that HCS rules would apply only to their own campus / functions makes no sense. Why would they make a rule to "not attend a prom" if they would never host one? OR Why would they make a rule against an activity that they would host? Everyone involved knows that any "prom" that a HCS student might attend would necessarily be hosted by another school.

Also, what about all of those "zero tolerance" rules against athletes who use drugs or alcoholic beverages? We have heard that some of that stuff can stay in your system for years -- and therefore affect tests that you, currently, have no idea that you will ever take. And, that is in addition to the police reports that will follow you. Also, a felony conviction for ANYTHING can follow you for the rest of your life and prevent you from getting a security clearance (for a job) or even keep you from doing something as fundamentally American as voting. And, it does not necessarily matter if you were a "juvenile" at the time or that the crime and the position / situation that you are seeking are "totally UNrelated." In my May 13 post (4:58 am, further down this page) I quoted the statement "sin always takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, costs more than you want to pay, and looks worse to God than it does to us." Numbers 32:23 says ". . . be sure your sin will find you out." The "law of sowing and reaping" also applies: You (almost) always "reap what you sow, more than you sow, later than you sow, and in proportion to what you sow." (Galatians 6:7)

Having adult chaperones does not make a youth activity an honorable one. Surely Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth movement) was chaperoned (if not led) by adults, but it was just as Nazi as its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung (the SA).

To Patrice Berry and to Pilgrim: Thank you both for speaking up. We will be praying that both of you will be faithful in your commitments to the LORD. Pligrim, with 30+ years of marriage behind us, we would like to encourage you to be especially cautious of being alone during these last few weeks prior to your wedding. And, we would like to warn you to be particularly careful about being at your future dwelling together, alone. It has been the undoing of many commitments to premarital chastity.

To AA: Excuse me, since we are not aware of all of the rules at HCS, therefore we cannot make a blanket statement for them. And, although their Statement of Faith webpage does not list any scripture references, after several hours of reading I have NOT seen anything that would lead me to believe that the church or school could in any way be considered non-biblical in their beliefs. (There are however some points of doctrine that do not agree with my own Independent Baptist Church.) Also, we are not familiar with the history of this specific congregation, but do know that the people of the Independent Baptist movement were NOT "kicked out" of the Southern Baptist Convention "for its [our] radical teachings." The fact is the Independent Baptists left the SBC because the SBC had forsaken the hundreds of years old historic stand of having "the Bible as the final rule of faith and practice." That hardly makes one a cultist. And, the statements in my post on Wednesday, May 13 (at 4:58sm further down this page) show that we could hardly be considered "a fringe element" of modern American society.

The point of TRUE Christian education is NOT _just_ about the academics. True CHRISTIAN education is about learning submission to proper authority and developing the character of your heart to do right ALL the time, not to please yourself -- but your LORD and those that love and care for you the most. Especially those that "watch for your souls" (Hebrews 13:17). PS: Submission is only an issue if you think that your authority is wrong. ”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 9:57:50 PM
Jessica York wrote:
Re: Hertiage
“ To Jeff: Yes it maybe about honoring your word, however have you stopped to think that this did NOT happen during school hours and also it did NOT happen on school property. What people are failing to see is that when you sign an agreement not a contract but an agreement you are stating that you will adhere to the rules WHILE on school property in school during the day or at functions. This prom obovisly did not happen during any of the times metioned above, so no Tyler did NOT go back on his word. What people do in their own private lives is no one's business but that person's and God's. Yes if Tyler did something that he was not suppose to do God will deal with him in his own way and on his own time. The other thing that people are forgetting is that it is not anyone's job to place judgment on anyone. God did not make England or anyone else at that school to judge so the only person that is in the wrong here is Hertiage School and for sure Mr. England himself. He knew that Tyler needed this form in order to attend the prom; and he knew that the prom was going to involve dancing, hand holding, etc.... but yet he went ahead and signed it anyways. Then he probley realized that if and when the elders of the church got wind of what he just did; he himself would be in trouble so England took the coward way out and went back on what he did. If he was that against it he should of NEVER of signed the damn sheet of paper. Without the paper signed Tyler would of not been able to go, yea I'm sure that he would of been upset however he would of gotten over it. I don't see any wrong done on Tyler's part or his stepfather's part. It's time that people wake up and realize how controlling certain independent fundalmentalist baptists can really be. ”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 8:38:06 PM
JEFF wrote:
Heritage
“ No, it is not a case of christians thinking they are better than others. It's about integrity and accountibility for your actions. It's about honoring your word and committments. ”
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 5:10:47 PM
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News Briefs Firefighters discover 20 marijuana plants in house
After fighting a house fire early Monday at 815 Howard St., firefighters found 20 marijuana plants in the residence.

"They ran across it and called us," said police Sgt. Justin Hendren with the Hancock County METRICH Drug Enforcement Unit.

Police seized all 20 plants, and Hendren said charges are pending.

High-powered growing lights, fans, and a box filled with dried marijuana were also found in the house, according to a police report.

Investigators said an electrical short started the fire before 3 a.m. Monday.

The blaze caused an estimated $12,000 in damage to the residence, owned by Amanda Crawford. No one was injured, according to the Findlay Fire Department.

Carey announces holiday closing
CAREY -- Carey offices, including administrative, income tax and utilities, electric, wastewater treatment plant, and public works, will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The curbside recycling program will be held Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 7-9.

Findlay trooper named sergeant
Trooper Jacob L. Fletcher, assigned to the Findlay post of the State Highway Patrol, was promoted to sergeant Wednesday by Patrol Superintendent Col. David Dicken.

With the promotion, Fletcher will stay at the Findlay post and serve as an assistant post commander, according to the patrol.

Fletcher began his patrol career in 2002 after graduating from the 139th Academy class and has been assigned to the Findlay post since.

Owens announces holiday schedule
The Toledo and Findlay campuses of Owens Community College will be closed Saturday through Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

There will be no classes and the college offices will be closed.

Classes will resume and offices will open again on Tuesday.

Holiday changes ad deadlines
The Courier won't be published on Monday, in observance of the Labor Day holiday.

Because of the holiday, some advertising deadlines have been moved up this week:

Black and white display advertising for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by noon Friday. Display advertising for Wednesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Color display advertising for the Thursday, Sept. 9 newspaper must be placed by Friday.

Classified advertising and City and Country advertising for Saturday's newspaper must be placed by 2 p.m. Friday. Classified ads for Tuesday's newspaper must be placed by 2:30 p.m. Friday.

Courier business and advertising offices will close at 3 p.m. Friday for the holiday.