High School Student Suspended For Talking To His Mother in Iraq

A high school student in Georgia was suspended for refusing to end a cell phone call with a soldier in Iraq—a soldier who just happens to be his mother.
Comments on article "High School Student Suspended For Talking To His Mother in Iraq"
Name Views and CommentsDate
P I know some day I can get over the physical and mental hurt and damge, but it will truly take time. Can you imagine going to visit your husband and he never shows up to pick you up. He sent a stranger to get me and I waited over 30 minutes at the front desk after my arrival. When I told the woman at the desk that I was going to the room, that's when she called him again. This time I should have left. I pulled back the sheets and there was brown hair in the sheets. Alfred said it belonged to the maid. I asked the woman at the front desk for sheets and she denied me clean sheets and towels. I had to lay in a bed that had another woman's hair in it. It wouldn't have been so bad, except the female soldiers got me. One minute they were facing the wall and next, they had surrounded me and were quickly telling me all they knew about Captain Cecila Jackson - an Army Nurse. I just decided what goes around comes around. But, Cecila took her turn on me more than once. She had my husband out in the pouring rain past 2a.m. packing her van. When he came back his clothes were dry. But, what really hurt was when she told me, "Oh that's right you're the wife." I never pressed charges on either one of them, I just figured, what goes around comes around. 12/6/2009
Parham Sorry about the typos, I was crying and typing at the same time. I thank God that I'm still alive and that my baby tries to be a good child. She preaches to me all of the time about Esther and that I have to live my life like I'm going to see the King! She wants to be a lawyer so she can help poor women who need legal services. God is Good - Help is on the Way! I think Harriet Tubman would be so proud. Harriet Tubman, so I discovered was of a distant relation. She did not like the South and did not want to go to the South. Hopefully, the children of Georgia now will be able to have adequate Child Support and the mother's will have healthier babies. Perhaps, my little girl can pick-up where I've left off. 11/4/2009
Parham I can remember Alfred Parham leaving his wallet at home. Before he left, he said that he was at the Nuclear Training Center on base. So, I went to the Nuclear Training Center and the sign read that I would be shot first. I decided to enter and well, I didn't get shot. I actually made it to the front desk and was invited into the classrooms. The desk person even shared the list of students with me to declare that Alfred Parham was not there. I waited until the class started and I was invited to go to the classrooms again. I decided to leave when I saw the look that a foreign person gave me. i knew at that moment that I was somewhere I wasn't suppose to be. When I came home Alfred asked me if I had been shot at. I told him the whole story and he couldn't believe that I had not been shot at. Next, he asked me to go riding in his truck with him. He drove me near a fishing area and said that we were going 4-wheeling. I begged and begged, but he pressed his foot against the pedal and I was down and out. When I came to there was a man picking gravel out of my hair and helping me to get out of the truck. He told me that he was wondering what Alfred had been doing out there. That he had been looking at the area for weeks. You see the whole area was clean, except for this one brick that was sticking out of the grown. The result of the crash meant that I had to walk around the military hospital without shoes and the axle on the truck was broken. Later, Alfred insisted that I drive the truck to nursing school. He followed behind me. He never got the truck fixed. Again, I was upside down. This time the truck was totaled and I was blamed. The day before the accident, Alfred increased is life policy on me for $25,0000. He didn't do anything to me again, until, I was pregnant. He tripped me and I cramped and spotted. Shortly thereafter he put me out. Somewhere during all of this I had to have reconstructive surgery. He tore up my insides. One day, I know I'll be able to tell my whole story. Alfred had my family and friends believing that he loved me so much and that I was the cause of him having to get out of the military. He told my parents how he wanted to put his hands around my neck when I was pregnant. My daughter and I have survived and I hope that God will use to me acquire adequate Child Support Legislation nationally. I was able to have the Georgia State Law changed, but I'm hoping that all military spouses will be able to get their military allotment due from Social Services and that Social Services will provide a lawyer to their clients. 11/3/2009
Parham I lost so many of my personal possessions. I had purchased an antique desk for my little girl to have for her doll babies and I also had purchased antique jewelry. After Alfred Parham put me out when I was a little over 2 months pregnant, I discovered my jewelry was missing. When we reunited and returned to Georgia, I never received my antique desk or my mother's sewing machine. 11/1/2009
Parham I can remember Sheila Barr Parham calling our apartment as early as two weeks after our move in date. That is, we had just gotten married and Alfred Parham gave Sheila Barr instructions to call our apartment in Colorado Springs, CO and to ask for him. 11/1/2009
Parham Alfred Parham just hired a lawyer and has taken $200 from his Child Support Modification. The child is in need of braces and Alfred Parham will not try to help his child. Also, Alfred Parham does not supply eye glasses or dental on his insurance plan for his child. 10/30/2009
hoss first of all the school has a policy concerning cell phones,and family members in the war.the young man did not follow proper procedures.you all need to not comment without knowing all the facts. 10/29/2008
luis, NY the school is really stupid, come on is his mother who is Fighting for this country and he never know when she could die. 4/15/2008
teacher How many of you are high school teachers or have any immediate family in the military? I fall under both of these categories.
The school district does not allow cell phone usage during school hours... bottom line. The cell phone should not have been turned on during school hours. The student should not have answered the call while on school grounds. The student should have hung up the phone when asked by the teacher. And the student should not have retaliated in the way the he did. Are we forgetting why we have rules to follow in the first place? If the student had just followed the rules none of this would have happened. Also, I am sure he would not have been suspended if he wasn't so rude and disrespectful to an authority figure. If you haven'tvbeen in a school setting in a while you wouldn't believe how disrespectful some of these kids can be.
I am a teacher and my husband is deployed. I don't have my cell phone on while I am at work. It is not professional. Why should a student be allowed to have their cell phone on? Also, my husband knows what hours I work... it's the exact same every day! So, what does he do? He calls me while I am not at work. I am sure the mother knew what time her child was at school and would have understood if he was unable to answer his cell phone. If it was important she could have contacted the school.
I support our troops 110%; however, that is not what this is about. It is about following the rules and standards that are set for us. Bending the rules for 1 person is just going to tell them that they can get away with anything. Is that what we want to be teaching our children?
1/6/2008
Yajaira Fernand every case should be handled according to the circumstances, the young man was speaking with his mother in Iraq not just anyone. 1/5/2008
JP Alfred Parham won't even spend time with his own Child. The Court session revealed that Alfred Parham put his foot out during his first visitation, so that the mother of the child would trip over his foot. Therefore, the mother of the child is requesting Supervision for future visits. The item of the $40,000 remains as well as the item of 30% of Alfred Parham's pay. That is, the mother of the child never received money due from the military or has the mother of the child received adequate Child Support via the 30% due. Alfred Parham was claiming a non-taxable income instead of the income received from the State of Georgia. 6/2/2006
sonshine sad people have gotten so controling and uncaring 3/26/2006
Duane Royal According to what I read, the teacher should have been arrested for battery. Personally, I would have gladly gone to jail for horse whipping this idiot on behalf of this poor kid. 2/23/2006
hush I have to do a report on why kids should have cell phones in school and i think that it retarted to not let that kid talk to his mother! 2/1/2006
Silent 1 y th hell would you get suspended for talking to your mom in IRAQ! 1/30/2006
JT Every phone call from loved ones on Iraq has the potential to be the last time you hear their voice. Even if this young man did get a little out of line, it is to be expected. Some selfish teacher asks me to hang up on someone I love I could possibly never see again, I would get a little defiant as well!! 11/21/2005
Rolfieg Another case of politics, (let's face it folks, there was plenty of that involved) getting in the way of good sense. How can anyone calling him/herself an educator do this to a kid already missing a parent? Pehaps, both the teacher and the principal can be taught some humanity and common sense (although it's probably too late!) but having them meditate over their stupidity while they are suspended for 10 months 7/24/2005
sana i want to know my result 7/14/2005
Jackie Kane Par According to the White House, Alfred Parham is claiming a non-taxable income for Child Support Records. After this, I would assume that Alfred Parham will reclaim his statement, because everyone can see that he has a State income.

6/28/2005
lynnyand suspended? what is society coming to when a kid can not even talk to his mother on the phone, especially a mother who is defending our country and is fighting for us every single day and they can't even let her son talk to her for a few minutes. when in reality he proably only gets to hear her voice once every two weeks or less. 6/23/2005
Eric Rehnke I'm astonished that the school officials, after finding out who was on the other end of the phone, decided to go ahead with the suspension. What a signal to be sending to others. 6/8/2005
Kessler Wright I am a class of 2003 Spencer High School Gradute. There is no way this child should have been allowed to re-enter this school. I know the principal and and asst. very well.. Our adminitstration has handled many situations and they know there job very well.. He owes the school, administration, faculty, and alumni very big apology.
Kessler D. Wright, Class of 2003
5/13/2005
gingermeggs The American school system is basically stupid anyway, so I am not surprised at this incident. No wonder America is regarded as a bad joke! 5/11/2005
GCP No, the teacher should have been arrested for assault for attempting to grab the phone from him. 5/9/2005
puppyloveaz2004 Bad Daddy i think that you giving that comment on having kids and being in the army commet was not called for becaue what if you were in that type of situation what if you wanted to join the army or any services and you go around and have your fun and what if in an accident you get a gurl pregnat and you get calle okay then that would be stupid because it';s not like if she planned it to be that way okay so that commenty is trash. 5/9/2005
puppyloveaz2004 I think that they should have let him finish the conversation with his mother becaue what if a teacher or a staff at the school had a mom or dad in Iraq and they have not talked to them for a while and they have been away for so long they would have wanted to talk to them too and they would refuse to let the call go. I think that that was just dumb because if i were in that situation then i think that i would have done the same thing and if the teacher tried grabbing my phone then i would have moved and anyways i would have not let the teacher even be by me because i already know that they are going to attempt to grab the cell phone so whats the point to even let them get close to you. But still the school did the wrong thing they need to put them selfs in that type of situation and think about it. How would they have felt if that were to happen to them they would have not liked it one bit i bet. 5/9/2005
colin High Schools are no place for thinkers, doers or the children of the brave. they are programming the average and striving for the mediocre. i am neither suprised by the schools sophmoric approach, nor the 17-year olds reaction. i would call for the resignation of a teacher, demanding that they take notice of the faculty becoming a despotic regeme. 5/9/2005
sexythug i wouln't get off the cell phone for nobody if it was my mom was in Iraq 5/9/2005
bad daddy well in my opinion having kids and being in the army is stupid.
iraq vs u.s.a home win
5/9/2005
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