x-sender: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com x-receiver: governor.haley@sc.lmhostediq.com Received: from mail pickup service by sc.lmhostediq.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC; Sat, 26 Mar 2016 14:02:19 -0400 thread-index: AdGHiaOx41HnNrkFRbKFWyyWq+28gA== Thread-Topic: Response via eform 100002 - Help with a State Agency From: To: Subject: Response via eform 100002 - Help with a State Agency Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2016 14:02:19 -0400 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000 Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message Importance: normal Priority: normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7601.17609 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 26 Mar 2016 18:02:19.0910 (UTC) FILETIME=[A3D0E260:01D18789] WORKFLOW 344 Mr. Paul W Barrett 151 Link Circle Abbeville SC 29620 pbarrett@wctel.net 864-446-7495 864-378-0586 Hello Governor Haley, my name is Paul Barrett. I have an issue and I need some help and guidance. My oldest son is a senior at Abbeville High School. He is 19, he did Kindergarten twice. Anyway, on Wednesday, he allegedly smoked marijuana with two other female students off campus. Somehow, he was pulled from class and questioned and told my wife's car would be searched. So, he said there was a little marijuana in it and a knife and brass knuckles. He works at Pizza Hut delivering and I told him to carry a weapon, just in case. Well, Dr. Costner, the principal, and Officer Reepe, the School Resource Officer, decided to handcuff Zachary and charged him with simple possession and carrying weapons on school grounds, which is a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison. The problem is, Zachary has been an A and B student for 13 years, never, ever, been in any trouble. All the teachers love him. But Dr. Costner and Officer Reepe want to make an example of Zachary, apparently. They caught 3 black boys with a gun at school last year and only served them no trespassing notices. Zachary is 2 months from graduating. He is in his 7th and 8th Piedmont Tech Engineering classes and is going to a 4 yr college, not yet determined. Dr. Costner wants him prosecuted and said Zachary is expelled and cannot return to Abbeville High. He said he will not graduate and if he goes to an Alternative School, he still will not get to walk with his class at graduation. Now, I know Zachary made a mistake, but common sense must be used somewhere in all this. This is not a student that has stayed in trouble. You as a lawmaker should be able to see the difference here, even though the law is written as it is. This is an extreme punishment for a young man that has never gave anyone any trouble in his whole life. I have already explained this to Dr. Costner. It is utterly ridiculous to ruin his life at this early age. Abbeville High has a terrible drug problem and Dr. Costner and Officer Reepe, I believe, are afraid to tackle it. I have had numerous parents and teens tell me about, mostly the African American boys, having crack cocaine, marijuana, and loads of drug dealing money at school. You never here about any of them getting into trouble. I have spoken with Paul Agnew. He recommended that I speak with David Stumbo and anyone else that may be of help, or hire him. The problem is, this just happened on Wednesday and the City has his court set up for Monday at 9am. We submitted a written request for a jury trial, just to buy time, but the City Police Dept. refused to accept it. I feel like Zachary is being railroaded and I'm not going to take it lying down. I am going to expose this dept. and school to the best of my ability if someone doesn't start using some sense. And just in case you are wondering, no, we are not trash. I have a title abstracting company, ZAC, LLC. I've ran it for 11 years now. I worked with RTT before that. I have a BBA in Real Estate and Finance from UGA. I think when it comes to the law not being handled right, the lawmakers ought to step in and make sure it is. Is this the message we want to send our children, "do good all your life, but when you mess up one time, that's it, you are done, your life is ruined"? Thank you so much Hope to hear from you today, if possible Paul Barrett 206.74.131.33