N.M. school board squashes parent code of conduct plan

The Santa Fe (New Mexico) Board of Education rejected a plan that would have allowed its schools to punish student-athletes for their parents’ behavior at sporting events.

Last month, member schools voted to give the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) the authority to punish high schools for the actions of their fans. It wasn’t long after when a new proposal was presented to the Santa Fe school board that would address fan behavior at all athletic contests.

Under the proposal, a student-athlete could be removed from a team if their parent engaged in unsportsmanlike behavior three times during the school year. The thought was that parents might think twice about acting out during sporting events if their actions affected their child’s participation.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, no official vote was taken at the meeting, but the majority of board members suggested they would not support the plan.

From the article:

“I don’t support this at all,” said board member Lorraine Price. “The notion that we would even consider holding children responsible for adult behavior is outrageous, absolutely outrageous.”

…

The board’s vice president, Maureen Cashmon, said she felt there were already two policies — one relating to visitors on campus and the other having to do with conduct on school campuses — that addressed behavior by parents and fans attending athletic events.

“I’m not sure we need this, and I definitely don’t want a child to be responsible for their parents’ behavior,” she said.

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