As students began arriving to school on Monday however, school administration told students that they either had to turn the t-shirts inside-out or be sent home and face possible suspension from school. The decision by administration was based on a district policy of crisis management that bars "permanent memorials" to deceased students. The policy was intended to avoid things like plaques, yearbook pages, and memorial benches to students who commit suicide for fear that such remembrances would trigger other suicide attempts. Parents, including Caitlyn's mother, are pointing out that there is, and needs to be, a recognized difference with issues like suicide and a student who died as a result of an accident or long term illness.
Critics are claiming that instead of creating an atmosphere of support for young students dealing with the death of a classmate, the school created an adversarial environment which did not allow those in pain to grieve. Parents and others in the community are now calling for the administrators to be fired claiming that to enforce such a rule shows that they do not understand how to best deal with or teach the children of Battle Creek.
Thoughts?