Cursing crackdown at North

Students who like to use blue language at Fargo North High School have been singing the blues.

About two dozen students have been suspended for cursing since the school cracked down on rampant expletive use late last year.

If a student curses at a teacher, administrator or staff person, they're out the rest of the day plus two more days, Principal Andy Dahlen said.

The same goes for a student who curses at another student in a confrontation, he said. Then there's the "slippage" rule. Indeed a word that conjures up a chuckle, but for the potty-mouthed at North, it's a pretty accurate term.

If a North student casually utters an obscenity and a staff member hears it, that's slippage. The student is sent home for the rest of the day.

"It's all about discretion," Principal Andy Dahlen said. "Students were pretty frank with their discussions."

Verbiage definitely not allowed falls in the range of comedian George Carlin's seven words you can't say on television. And in the age of Google, they don't need to be described further.

However, an offender using a more minor curse word might see some leniency, Dahlen said, though he'd still prefer something tamer, such as "heck" or "darn."

Student feedback is mixed.

Senior Bobbie Manthie said "It's kind of a good thing," though "sometimes frustrating."

Sometimes, accidents happen, freshman Chase Muhonen said. "It's bad. It makes it harder to talk to your friends," he said.

"It's dumb. There are a lot of people that don't think before they speak," senior Nick Masseth agreed.

The students say enforcement of the cursing policy depends on which teacher is listening, and that sometimes, those role models have slippage moments, too.

"I've had some teachers say 'sucks' is bad," senior Jessica Buerkley said.

Junior Molly Hammer said, "It's a little over the top. ... Every once in awhile, it (a curse) kind of slips out," and "you don't get any warnings. People are definitely more careful."

At Fargo South High School, foul language can be considered disrespectful or insubordinate and cases are handled by administrators, said Assistant Principal Jennifer Fremstad. Parents are notified and the offending student may be suspended for a day or two, she said.

Moorhead School District uses a graduated punishment system, starting with a student conference and leading to suspension, said Lynn Kovash, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning.

"We really look at the intensity of the behavior and have consequences to match the intensity of that behavior," Kovash said.

Karen Olson, an assistant principal at West Fargo High School, said the school has "no tolerance" for swearing at staff. If a student uses a foul phrase, "that student is gone," she said.

The student is suspended, the parents are contacted and the student is sent home, not to return without an apology, Olson said.

"I like the Fargo North policy," she said. "Certainly, we're going to watch what happens over there."

Dahlen said there have been no repeat violators at North and no parent complaints. He said the policy offers an important lesson about the responsibilities of students to respect the rights of others.

"I don't think we're infringing on their rights" to free speech, he said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Helmut Schmidt at (701) 241-5583