Parents sue Nairobi School for suspending son over drug abuse claims
A Form Four candidate at a city school has opted to seek reprieve from the corridors of justice after he was sent on a four months suspension over allegations of drugs and substance abuse.
In a suit filed Monday at the High Court on his behalf, his parents sued the Nairobi School’s board of management, the Nairobi county education board and its education director.
Through lawyer Reuben Miinda, they faulted the Nairobi School for sending their child away for such a long time yet he is a candidate for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TORTURE
The parents claimed that their child has been subjected to irreparable loss and psychological torture and that his future now hangs in the balance as a result of the suspension.
“Denying this child to be in school through a suspension at a time when he is expected to prepare for KCSE not only affects him but also violates his constitutional right to education as well as destabilizes his entire future life,” said Mr Miinda.
The dispute started on February 7 when the minor was suspended from the school over the said allegations. The school contacted the father to pick his child.
According to the father, he was not informed reasons for the suspension during the phone conversation, but learnt about it when he later arrived at the school.
After he was handed a letter indicating that his child was suspended over the said allegations, he made an attempt to make inquiries from the Principal.
He claimed that he was asked to return with his child on February 14.
He alleged that he took his son to a government chemist on February 9 for drug abuse analysis examination which turned out to be negative.
COUNSELLING SESSION
On February 12, he said that he dragged his son to counselling session at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
At KNH, the minor was described as calm, confident and able to respond to instructions appropriately hence was advised to be given support by the school’s counselling department and his parents.
According to the father, the counseling report and recommendations were taken to the school on February 22. They visited the school severally but were turned away.
The seventeen year0old appeared before the board for the disciplinary case on March 13 but the verdict was allegedly forwarded to the Nairobi county director of education who was to give it just after two weeks.
However, they claimed that the verdict has never been released to date and the minor has since remained out of school.
“He has already suffered enough loss academically and stands to suffer more irreparable loss, psychological torture and anguish if he is not re-admitted to the school immediately,” said Mr Miinda.
His parents now want the sued parties barred from suspending or expelling their child using the grounds given when he was first sent home and that the child be re-admitted.