Recently, I was suspended wrongfully for

“instigating” a fight. During the process of questioning by the administration, I was pressured into giving information out that I myself was not sure was true, thus causing an incorrect ruling. Chris White threatened me to a fight and I jokingly accepted, as it was evident to every witness that the challenge was not for real. Chris then continued by punching me near my eye at lunch, to which I was completely taken aback by because I believed Chris wasn’t serious with his statements. I did not fight back, and Chris ran away back outside. I reported the incident, to which Chris got 2 days of OSS, whilst I, who didn’t fight back, still got 2 days of ISS for “instigating” a fight. This type of blanket policy in my opinion should at the very least have an exception where it cannot be used against someone who encouraged something against themselves, especially if there is a shared notion that this is a joke, as now these joking statements can be used as an excuse to harm someone, which is not okay. This can cause a multitude of problems, as the person who is punished, even if they don’t fight back, loses their sense of protection from the school, as the school is really just trying to prey upon people who don’t really understand the way in which situations are handled. Students may feel threatened, and are trapped in a situation where they cannot report someone who has harmed them due to fear of getting in trouble. One should not be punished for trash talking, or at least not given a suspension, and especially if the student does not fight back.