Student's Ban from Graduation Not Unprecedented

Court documents shed light on the Paulding County School Board's move last month to bar Jake Zimmerman from graduation. A judge Thursday tossed that punishment.

Officials: Graduation Ban Was Precedent

Court documents show that the Paulding School Board had barred students from taking part in commencement exercises as part of their punishments in years past. A judge Thursday threw out such a punishment for Jake Zimmerman on constitutional grounds.

Officials with the Paulding County School System say Jake Zimmerman was not the first student to be barred from taking part in his graduation ceremony as part of a suspension from school that spanned until the end of the school year. But a judge Thursday said that precedent did not trump Zimmerman’s legal right to protest the punishment he received for taking part in a “senior prank” with other students. Zimmerman was one of the 24 teens arrested following the March 11 vandalism of East Paulding High School and surrounding areas; the majority of those arrested were East Paulding students. Zimmerman, like the other students deemed to have been involved in the incident, received from a school tribunal a punishment of 10 days of out-of-school…

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Truth is

12:17 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012

What is most alarming to me is the fact that the public does not know the whole story. There were children involved in the senior traditional prank who did way less than the plaintiff. Some of these sweet children who never set foot on school property were arrested at someone's home, spent 18 hours in jail, and were even placed into general population. Others were tackled by unidentified adults …   more ›

School Official: We Will Honor Judge’s Decision

East Paulding High senior Jake Zimmerman will get to take part in the school’s graduation ceremony next week.

With just days before his fellow seniors walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, East Paulding High senior Jake Zimmerman found out Thursday that he’ll get to join them. Despite the Paulding County School Board’s decision last month to bar Zimmerman from extracurricular activities, including graduation, a preliminary injunction issued Thursday from U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy in Rome will allow the senior to take part in commencement exercises, set for May 26 at 10 a.m. at the high school. Zimmerman had been one of the 24 teens arrested following the March 11 vandalism of East Paulding High School and surrounding areas. His original punishment, which he says was also levied against others involved in vandalism of the school …

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CC

3:27 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012

Ditto!!   more ›

Paulding’s Superintendent Receives State Award

Cliff Cole was recognized for his actions and leadership following the March 2 tornado that damaged Poole Elementary.

Cliff Cole, superintendent of the Paulding County School District, was recently presented with the Georgia School Superintendents Association's President’s Award. Cole was selected out of the nearly 180 superintendents representing school districts throughout the state of Georgia. According to a news release Tuesday, Cole was nominated by Dexter Mills, executive director of the Northwest Georgia Regional Education Service Agency. The letter of nomination focused on Cole’s actions in the aftermath of a category EF-3 tornado that struck Poole Elementary School on the evening of Friday, March 2. Mills stated that Cole took “immediate and decisive action” and was able to “rally all of the necessary community resources and offer a calmness and …

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Share Your Photos, See Our Video Interviews

Get a recap of all the major headlines we had May 6-13.

Several of our headlines last week focused on events that took place on Saturday. We told you early in the week about a walkathon aimed at helping two locals who have been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. On Friday, we brought you video interviews of the two. Our video coverage also included a preview of a motorcycle show that will see its proceeds help a Christmastime project. Paulding County Relay for Life was held Friday night through Saturday morning. If you attended the event and grabbed some photos and videos of the festivities, we hope you’ll share them with us here. Tuesday, we’ll bring you the video we shot of the goings-on on Friday. We also hope you’ll share photos and videos of your favorite graduates from Chattahoochee …

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Video: Two Share Their Cancer Diagnosis Stories

Taylor LaCroy and Justin Perkins told Dallas-Hiram Patch how they were diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The "Miles for Miracles" benefit Saturday at East Paulding High School will help the two with their medical expenses.

Sixteen-year-old East Paulding sophomore Taylor LaCroy and 26-year-old Justin Perkins each have their own story to tell, but the stories have one thing in common—a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. LaCroy is facing stage 4B Hodgkin’s lymphoma, while Perkins’ is at stage 3. As they undergo their respective treatments, their expenses increase. But helping to cover the costs of chemotherapy, prescriptions, doctor visits and more is Saturday’s “Miles for Miracles” walkathon. The event is being held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on and around the track of East Paulding High School. The family-friendly event, which is open to the public, will feature a children’s area with inflatables, pony rides, a rock wall, face painting, vendors, a blood drive and …

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