By Joe Morey
News Editor
The LCO Tribal Governing Board unanimously approved the Volatile Parent/Guest Policy for the LCO Ojibwe School on Monday, Oct. 25, at their weekly meeting.
LCO School Superintendent, Jessica “Hutch” Hutchison, brought the proposal to the TGB (School Board) after recently having to call the police for a hostile parent within the school building.
The policy states, “Any parent, visitor or guest to the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe school that is found to be in violation of the below code will be reported to law enforcement, will be subject to a disorderly conduct citation, and will be barred from the premises.”
The policy asks that any parent/guest who is under the influence any drugs or alcohol not to visit the school.
Hutch told the TGB that she had to call the police on a parent, and it was the first time in her 20-year career.
“Hopefully, approving this policy will be more of a deterrent if we ask the police to charge them,” Hutch explained. “We don’t anticipate having to use this often.”
Hutch noted how quick the response time was for LCO Police when they did have to call.
“The perimeter of the school is secure, and you have to get buzzed in,” Hutch stated. “You have to have a visitor badge to be on the campus and you have to provide a phone number for contact tracing purposes.”
The policy is adopted from the following LCO Tribal Code; General Conduct -Disorderly Conduct; Section 4.27
“Whosoever, in a public or private place, engages in violent, abusive, profane, boisterous, unreasonably loud or otherwise disorderly conduct under circumstances in which the conduct tends to cause or provoke a disturbance shall forfeit not more than $5,000.”
