Pubdate: Sun, 02 Nov 2003 Source: Register-Herald, The (WV) Copyright: 2003 The Register-Herald Contact: http://www.register-herald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1441 Author: Ronald Bee Cantley II LET COMMON SENSE AND DECENCY PREVAIL The Register-Herald recently reported that an administrative law judge reinstated a Logan County Board of Education employee to his job after he was fired for failing a random drug test. All across the state, various county boards of education suspend and expel students for the very same offense. It seems state employees have a greater right to employment than children do to an education. Certainly, no one would advocate we not expel drug offenders from school, but it is ironic we can remove misbehaving children from the system easier than we can pot-smoking employees. All state employees deserve due process and job security, but protecting the rights of proven marijuana smokers who serve our pupils is beyond the pale. When gubernatorial candidate Rob Capehart talks about meeting the needs of children first in our education system, this is a clear example of the type of injustice that must be corrected and changed. I continue to urge all concerned citizens to support Mr. Capehart as he works to not only improve our state's educational system, but to improve every aspect of state government. It is beyond time to let common sense and decency prevail in West Virginia. Ronald Bee Cantley II Cool Ridge - --- MAP posted-by: Josh