Kirsty McLeod says Morrinsville Intermediate's decision to ban son Austin Wynd from school discos is "ridiculous". Photo / Alan Gibson
Kirsty McLeod says Morrinsville Intermediate's decision to ban son Austin Wynd from school discos is "ridiculous". Photo / Alan Gibson
Two 11-year-old boys have been banned from a school disco after taking their shirts off at the last disco and jumping off the stage.
Morrinsville mother Kirsty McLeod, whose son Austin Wynd was one of the boys involved, said they were dared to take off their shirts and then ranaround waving their shirts in the air at the last school disco in April.
They accepted their punishment of being sent home early - but were disappointed at being banned from all school discos for the rest of the year, including this week's one, on health and safety grounds.
"It's absolutely ridiculous," McLeod said.
"He is 11 years old. How can he learn something if they don't give him the opportunity to learn from it?
"I just think it's unfair. If this is how schools are going, oh my goodness!"
Austin Wynd has been banned from school discos after taking off his shirt and threatening to jump off the stage. Photo / Alan Gibson
The school, Morrinsville Intermediate, told McLeod that its decision to ban the boys from this week's disco was consistent with another decision to ban a boy from a rugby game after he misbehaved at a previous game.
Board of trustees chair Teresa Higham said the decision was made for health and safety reasons.
"As a school we take our responsibilities around health and safety very seriously," she said.
"Before the last disco we held an assembly to remind students that they were there to have fun in a safe and orderly manner and in keeping with our school values. This was reiterated during the evening by the MC, with a reminder to keep off the stage.
"There was an incident with students going onto the stage, removing their t-shirts and then jumping off the stage into the crowd. The consequence of this was those involved not being able to attend the term 2 disco."
Austin Wynd (left) and his mother Kirsty McLeod (right) are angry that he has been banned from school discos because he took his shirt off and threatened to jump off the stage. Photo / Alan Gibson
Austin said a friend dared him and the other boy to go up on stage and take their shirts off at the earlier term 1 disco in the school hall, so they did.
"It was like really hot," he said.
He said he didn't knock anyone over, and did not land on anyone when he jumped off the stage.
"I landed on the ground," he said.
The two boys were sent immediately to the principal's office.
"That night she told us we were banned, she said we couldn't go to any more discos this year, then next year we are allowed to go," Austin said.
Mother-of-eight Kirsty McLeod, pictured with son Austin (left) and baby Ardia, says she believes in consequences but can't explain why Austin has been banned from all discos. Photo / Supplied
McLeod said Austin was the sixth of her eight children to attend the school and had not had any other issues there.
"He's a good boy," she said. "If my kids are little terrors, they get it, I believe in consequences. But this one I just can't explain."
She asked Higham at a meeting, also attended by school principal Jenny Clark, how she would feel if her own son was banned for taking his shirt off.
"She said, 'I would be embarrassed if my 11-year-old son took his shirt off," McLeod said.
"I laughed and said I would be embarrassed if my 11-year-old son took his pants off. I mean, what's this coming to!"
Austin Wynd, aged 11, has been banned from school discos for the rest of the year after taking his shirt off on stage. Photo / Supplied
Youthlaw chairman Simon Judd said it was unlikely that any court would overturn the school's decision, despite a 2015 High Court interim injunction overturning a decision by St Bede's College to ban two members of the college rowing team from attending a rowing tournament after jumping on an airport luggage conveyor belt.
"Although there is a precedent for the court to interfere in what might be regarded as an internal school matter, that would have to be regarded as a very exceptional scenario," he said.
"There was evidence that for those boys rowing was very important. They wanted potentially to represent New Zealand in rowing, so for them not being able to row in the Maadi Cup, which is the premier event for secondary schools, was really significant.
"Whether you can say an 11-year-old not being able to attend a couple of discos is in the same category - it's quite likely that a High Court judge would say this is not something that the courts would get involved in."
