Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Springfield, Mo. - A Springfield high school student is going against his school's administration after he says he was wrongly accused of smoking marijuana and unfairly punished.
Seventeen-year-old Gavin Devic, a senior at Parkview High School, says the punishment he received is too severe for only being associated with someone who smoked pot.
His family plans to speak to a lawyer on Monday about trying to reduce or revoke a 28-day athletic suspension so he can participate in a wrestling tournament coming up this week. That ten-day suspension was lowered to seven days after Devic agreed to a psychiatric exam.
"If the athletic suspension isn't lifted before this large tournament, unless I qualify for state and I'm able able to win matches there, then I won't receive 100-career wins," said Devic.
He says his wrestling and academic career have been threatened by a punishment he doesn't deserve, and it's all because he got a ride with a friend on Dec. 2.
"I could smell and tell there were things in his car, but I wasn't worried about it, I knew I had done nothing wrong," he said.
They headed to a school dance. When they arrived, resource officers pulled them out.
"They split us up in different room, started asking us questions," Devic said. "The whole time I wasn't panicking or worried. I was like 'I'm sure they will figure out what happened and it will be fine'."
Devic says he received a 10-day suspension, a 28-day athletic suspension and had his A+ Scholarship revoked. A punishment, he says, came from assumptions.
"They didn't do any kind of sobriety test, they just said they could smell it," Devic said.
Devic decided to do a drug test of his own and tested negative for THC. The following Monday, he brought the results in, but the administration didn't budge. So Devic' friends organized a sit in during an assembly.
"Everyone was happy, we actually did it. We wish the administration had helped us more, instead of going against us," said Andy Nguyen, a senior who says he played football with Devic.
"We've never actually stood out against someone, against our administration before," said Andre Swai, a sophomore. "When we sat down, they didn't know what to do, they didn't have protocol for that."
Devic says he is surprised...
"I knew everybody knew and cared about me but not to this extent," he said.
And thankful for the support he's received.
"I never imagined me seeing so much love and support from everybody here at Parkview," he said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Parkview Student Challenges Athletic Suspension Over Pot
Author: Jenifer Abreu
Contact: 417-862-1010
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Ozarks First
Seventeen-year-old Gavin Devic, a senior at Parkview High School, says the punishment he received is too severe for only being associated with someone who smoked pot.
His family plans to speak to a lawyer on Monday about trying to reduce or revoke a 28-day athletic suspension so he can participate in a wrestling tournament coming up this week. That ten-day suspension was lowered to seven days after Devic agreed to a psychiatric exam.
"If the athletic suspension isn't lifted before this large tournament, unless I qualify for state and I'm able able to win matches there, then I won't receive 100-career wins," said Devic.
He says his wrestling and academic career have been threatened by a punishment he doesn't deserve, and it's all because he got a ride with a friend on Dec. 2.
"I could smell and tell there were things in his car, but I wasn't worried about it, I knew I had done nothing wrong," he said.
They headed to a school dance. When they arrived, resource officers pulled them out.
"They split us up in different room, started asking us questions," Devic said. "The whole time I wasn't panicking or worried. I was like 'I'm sure they will figure out what happened and it will be fine'."
Devic says he received a 10-day suspension, a 28-day athletic suspension and had his A+ Scholarship revoked. A punishment, he says, came from assumptions.
"They didn't do any kind of sobriety test, they just said they could smell it," Devic said.
Devic decided to do a drug test of his own and tested negative for THC. The following Monday, he brought the results in, but the administration didn't budge. So Devic' friends organized a sit in during an assembly.
"Everyone was happy, we actually did it. We wish the administration had helped us more, instead of going against us," said Andy Nguyen, a senior who says he played football with Devic.
"We've never actually stood out against someone, against our administration before," said Andre Swai, a sophomore. "When we sat down, they didn't know what to do, they didn't have protocol for that."
Devic says he is surprised...
"I knew everybody knew and cared about me but not to this extent," he said.
And thankful for the support he's received.
"I never imagined me seeing so much love and support from everybody here at Parkview," he said.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Parkview Student Challenges Athletic Suspension Over Pot
Author: Jenifer Abreu
Contact: 417-862-1010
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Ozarks First
