Commentary: Is drinking on campus really worse than vandalism and theft?

I was recently told a story about a high school junior who was caught drinking at the school during the Scotts Valley High homecoming game and is now suspended from participating in sports, as well as other school activities, until the season is over.
At first glance, one might say, OK, the offense does deserve punishment — some might argue that for a first offense three months seems severe, but OK, fair enough, that is the school’s policy.
I also heard about three freshman students from the school who have admitted to vandalizing the locker room at the school on that same night, homecoming night, and causing not only complete embarrassment for the community and school, but reportedly hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to personal property. What is the punishment for those kids? Only three days suspension from school, but they are still allowed to play sports this season.
Drinking on campus gets you suspended for five days and banned from sports and activities for three months, and major vandalism gets you three days’ suspension from school but no suspension from sports or other activities. Really?
So, what we are telling the kids in the Scotts Valley community is that it’s worse for an individual to drink on campus than it is to do thousands of dollars of damage to other people’s personal belongings and humiliate the school and community. Really?
I, for one, think we are sending completely the wrong message to our kids.
The punishment for vandalism should be at least as severe — and, in my opinion, should be more severe — than for drinking.
So I really have to ask the administration, the athletic director, the team coaches and the district, do you really think drinking on campus deserves a more severe punishment than theft and vandalism? That is what you are telling the students at your school by suspending someone from playing on a sports team for drinking but allowing the student who has admitted to vandalism to continue to play. I know there are policies and procedures, etc. But let’s face it: Facts, policies and procedures are not always written to cover every incident.
I am not saying the one for drinking should be allowed on the team necessarily, but certainly there should be more parity in the punishments. Either both should be allowed to play or neither — but make it fair and send the right message to your students.
Shannon Malliet is a Scotts Valley resident.
Editor’s note: In fact-checking the length of suspensions at Scotts Valley High School, the principal could not comment on specific cases but said suspensions for the offenses described are typically five days for drinking on campus and three days for vandalism.