Community Comes to Aid of Jailed Texas Honor Student

[sonias]

Yahoo News 5/31/12

Community Comes to Aid of Jailed Texas Honor Student

A 17-year-old Texas honors student who was jailed for missing too much school because she had to work two jobs to support her siblings, refused to accept the more than $100,000 a website raised for her.

"We saw her trying to work and trying to go to school and trying to do all these things and then to have the judge put her in jail for missing school just seemed a little harsh," said Paul Dietzel, who helped raise the money for Diane Tran. HelpDianeTran.com is a project of the Louisiana Children's Education Alliance.

But Tran didn't want the money: "There's some other kid out there struggling more ... than me," she said.

The 11th-grader's story sparked national outrage last week after a Houston judge charged her with contempt and sent her to jail after 10 unexcused absences in a six-month period, which is the law in the state of Texas.

"If you let one of them run loose, what are you going to do with the rest of them?" Judge Lanny Moriarty told ABC News affiliate KHOU. "A little stay at the jail is not a death sentence," he said.

The good news is that the judge has reversed his decision to send her to jail!

[think]

1. Thumbs up to the community and the judge.

[sonias]

2. Judge dismisses contempt charges against truant honor student Diane Tran

KHOU 5/30/12

Judge dismisses contempt charges against truant honor student Diane Tran

CONROE, Texas – A Montgomery County judge has dismissed contempt charges against a 17-year-old honor student at Willis High School.

Diane Tran was sent to jail for a day, after missing about 18 days of school this year.

Her case gained international attention after the public learned about Tran’s situation – she said she makes all A’s, but she works two jobs to help support her siblings. Sometimes, Tran said she’s simply too exhausted to attend class.

But in Montgomery County, officials – like Judge Lanny Moriarty, who sent Tran to jail—are tough on truancy.

The law is clear: students between the ages of 12 and 18 cannot miss more than 10 days of school in a six-month period.

Actually only the contempt charge was reversed. She did actually spend some time in jail.

[TexasTowelie]

3. Call it time served and have the case expunged from her record.

The young lady is mature enough to work two jobs and have good grades--she needs encouragement and understanding rather than being a victim of the system.

The incident needs to be expunged from her record so that it does not hamper her from getting into college or finding better employment opportunities after she graduates from high school.

[sonias]

4. I hope she doesn't burn out.

She is so young and carrying so much responsibility on her shoulders. Her record for sure should be expunged, so that it never impacts her adult life.

She certainly is a tough young woman.

to her.