Ah the joys of "At Will" employment states. If you live in one your employer can fire you for any reason (or no reason) what so ever. Didn't square up in your parking space? Fired. Made your car too perfectly square with the parking space? Fired. Had toast for breakfast? Fired. You walk too happy? Fired.

The only things they can't fire you for are the federally protected anti-discrimination classes. So they can't fire you because your black but good luck proving the firing wasn't because your were 30 seconds late or you parted you hair on the wrong side.

Cynthetiq is right on. Rules are rules. There are rules governing behavior here on tfp. You know the rules and the consequences if you break them.

This girl has the right to kill herself slowly and I as a shareholder of Phillip Morris applaud her efforts. (I know they are now called Altria Group -- MO's Chart )

Smoke up Sally...you're 18 now so flame up if that's your destiny.

As for the school's attempt to punish this "woman" (she's 18 after all) who knows what is covered in the school's code of conduct. If smoking is prohibited anywhere then sorry about her luck. She's not going to the prom.

As for some of the posts here that have said things like "THINK OF THE CHILDREN" -- a big fat DUH comes from me to you. The health consequences of smoking are pretty well documented. But...like I said she's 18 and she's as free to self destruct slowly as the next person who's paying me a 6% dividend. Smoke up! :thumbsup:

My vote is for 'make the shit illegal' but that will never happen. Remember Prohibition? Everyone knows smoking is bad for one's health and it is one of the most deadly yet preventable cause of deaths in the country year after year. Not imposing some sort of smoking restrictions, like offices or airplanes, would be unfair to the vast majority of the population who does not smoke. Getting back to the point of the topic, that girl should have been able to go to her prom. Harsh doesn't begin to describe the punishment.

If this is a private school it is not suprising. I went to a private school with similar rules. Actually, worse rules. But I new the rules going in. She knew the policy, she knew the concequences for her actions.
-tough luck kiddo.

She should burn the school down with a cig.

how did the case she brought turn out? was it dismissed, did the school cave, I am dying of suspense-

BTW- I agree totaly with the corps don't own you cause they pay you- and perhaps we need laws to that effect- your on the job performance sure, and the minute you cross their threshold, sure, and if its an illegal act, sure, but otherwise, I am not a citizen of nike, or mcdonalds, or wherever I work....... as to the health insurance issue, sure, do not let them get corporate insurance, thus they are not a drain.....

It's not illegal to discriminate against unhealthy people or practices. It's legal to discriminate against people who you think can't do the job, whatever it is, as well.

They wouldn't hire me, for instance, 'cause I'm obese. I'd place bets on this, unless they were testing their equipment for endurance or something.

As a private company they should be able to set whatever terms of employment they like so I don't have a problem with that from a logical standpoint. If a company hires you based on an agreement that you'll wear a pink tu-tu on Wednesdays, so be it. However I think that anti-smoking rule is a MASSIVE intrusion of personal privacy, and there's no way I'd ever agree to work under those kind of terms even if I didn't smoke. People should be hired (and fired) based strictly on their job performance; personal habits that in no way affect their jobs shouldn't be considered.

With any luck, all the better-qualified people who were turned away because they smoke will go work for the competition and run those morons out of business. Do they fire people who drink, don't wear their seat belts, go outside without sunblock, etc. too?

my highschool had policy like that. if you got caught by police (even over the summer) for ANYTHING the school could kick you out.

Man, that's pretty insane of the school.

I dont like the habit, and find it to be quite unattractive/nasty. that being said, I feel that the school has o'erstepped its boundaries on this one. Its not right for the school to have control over what one does legally in their own personal life.

on a semi-related topic. I happened to flip it on the speed channel and saw them talking about some nascar happenings (im not a nascar fan, so I didnt see the actual occurance).
earnhart junior was on air after finishing a race, and apparently cursed (live broadcast). It cost him 25 championship points, taking him out of the lead. anyone else feel that this is an absurd rule? isnt racing about winning the races? what does a curseword have to do with it?
for some reason, lately I feel that the restictions being imposed on public broadcasts are getting out of hand.

HAHAHAHA actually one thing i did learn in highschool is if you are under 18 a contract is not valid

That article is awfully sparse in its information.

But I'll bet that what's going on here is a uniform extra-curricular activity policy. A non-smoking policy for athletes in sporting programs is a pretty standard, and in my view, reasonable condition for participation. In many schools, all extra-curricular activities have a uniform behavior policy, to protect against accusations of unequal treatment. In other words, the football team, the forensics team, cheerleaders, and the chess team all have the same standards of behavior. A standard behavior contract is prepared and signed by anyone wishing to participate in an extra-curricular activity. I know I had to sign one in high school before being allowed to be on the forensics team.

The Prom is an extra-curricular activity, and as such would be covered by such a behavior contract. While I think this application is silly, I'm not sure that the school is going to lose in court.

Thank you, GW. The populace has decided that this is the voice of today. You get what you as for. Having his choice, you're in for a big shebang@

Well blaming the president because a girl can't go to prom aside....

The schools are allowed to set rules at they please, and going to prom is NOT a right.