by Carrie Moritz and Garrick Moritz, Gazette
In a follow-up call to the Gazette, the mother of expelled student Juul Haggen wanted to give an update.
Joni Haggen said she was able to get her son enrolled in a virtual school, so he can continue his education. However, the district refused to pay for the cost, she said, despite receiving public funds from the state for her son's education, and she had to pay for it out of pocket.
She felt as though many of the processes and decisions were unfair, and pointed out that she had said as much to Superintendent Guy Johnson. At that time, he had said that he had recommended Juul be suspended through the end of the school year, but at one point during the conversation, she said he had asked her if she wanted him to make it two years when she was attempting to ask for accountability.
"I don't know how he can give these recommendations when he didn't even interview Juul," she alleged. "He just wrote the report."
She was unsatisfied with the lack of accountability for the school district, as the Department of Education told her they did not get involved in individual districts' disciplinary matters, she said. She asked whether changes to policy and accountability were possible.
"I raised my kids to not lie and to be respectful to adults," she said. She asked why, since Juul did follow that, he should have been punished to such extremes.
