Bazzi Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 so my school is suspending me because they found a Syrian Hookah in my room, and are classifying it as drug paraphernalia. pretty crass shit.i'm trying to appeal it by saying it isn't used for weed and also for cultural discrimination (i am mediterranean)i am kind of stuck in a hole here, does anyone have any ideas of what i can do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekon Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (Bazzi @ Oct 26 2007, 11:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>so my school is suspending me because they found a Syrian Hookah in my room, and are classifying it as drug paraphernalia. pretty crass shit.i'm trying to appeal it by saying it isn't used for weed and also for cultural discrimination (i am mediterranean)i am kind of stuck in a hole here, does anyone have any ideas of what i can do?1. Take the bolded word out.2. It is considered paraphanalia.3. Show them a wikipedia page on hookah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zildjian Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 im sure some of the hookah website owners would send a letter on your behalf. i know one offered before, just dont remember which one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazzi Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 well you see, i researched my schools policies, and researched federal policies that of Connecticut, and the U.S. health and safety codes under paraphernalia laws and nothing states that a hookah is paraphernalia. i've been printing article after article on hookah and its history and traditions so hopefully i won't need further measures, but thank you both for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushbr Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 have the local police station test your bowl, all your bowls for residue, when it comes up negative send it to your Dean of Students.or offer to do a drug test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zildjian Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 offer up the idea that such things could be found in cigarrettes as easily if not moreso than hookahs. also use the cultural card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASUSEAN1 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 yea, all it takes is to pull the discrimination card and say you are willing to sue the school and they will change their minds pretty quickly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 that's fucking retarded. A hookah isn't any more drug paraphernalia than a pipe is, or even rolling papers, and it really shouldn't be a problem as long as you're 18. If they don't listen to you I would threaten to fight it in court, there's no way that their argument could hold up... If worst comes to worst, you could even threaten to sue, because that is a load of bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofrendo Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Why is your school looking in your room is what I'm wondering. I would just show them my tobacco collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazzi Posted October 27, 2007 Author Share Posted October 27, 2007 so it was room inspections, which i wasn't aware about (i had an emergency back in Oregon) and they ripped my room apart, literally. $100 silk ties thrown on the floor like trash. my room looks like a bomb went off and they didn't put anything back. they also took all 3 of my tobacco pipes and all my premium cigars, and pipe tobacco. everything. you can smoke marijuana just about out of anything these days. rolling papers are sold in head shops too but no one looks down upon those.... it upsets me how arrogant people can be. my college is also the most international in the country. we have a whole dorm complex for Indian students...WHERE THE HOOKAH ORIGINATED. and still, they are pulling this zero tolerance nonsense.thank you guys again for your reccomendations and your support. i really appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbyers Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 You should have a million boxes delivered to their house, whoever searched your room. You can have boxes delivered by going onto the USPS website or something like that. For free.Or hire ninjas to assassinate their families, but if that doesn't work court/lawsuits might be your only option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofrendo Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I would reiterate that you probably shouldn't mention "drugs" or specifically "name them" here. Just show them the shisha and coals. That should basically speak for itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenSilk Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 (edited) No don't let them look at the wikipedia page, i'm sure there's something there about other stuff they pot in there in India...i don't know how you will get out of this one. Are you 18?Edit: Nevermind you are, the only way i can htink of is to explain it. But schools don;t seem to listen that often. Edited October 27, 2007 by ZenSilk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheetz Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Um, if hookah is not specified in the student handbook then you have a right to bitch. Now if it does state hookah then you cant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatchez Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (Scheetz @ Oct 26 2007, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Um, if hookah is not specified in the student handbook then you have a right to bitch. Now if it does state hookah then you cant.Couldn't you have them simply smell your equipment? If nothing smells like illegal substances then they have no legitimate reason to seize your hookah or impose any diciplinary measures upon you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheetz Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (greatchez @ Oct 27 2007, 03:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (Scheetz @ Oct 26 2007, 11:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Um, if hookah is not specified in the student handbook then you have a right to bitch. Now if it does state hookah then you cant.Couldn't you have them simply smell your equipment? If nothing smells like illegal substances then they have no legitimate reason to seize your hookah or impose any diciplinary measures upon you.You could try. My college has hookah specifically stated now. It didnt before but some kids got busted for using it with drugs. Now they listed the hookah in the handbook as being banned from campus/dorm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geiseric Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 (edited) I don't have to even look up Connecticut law regarding search and seizure policy for housing to know you have grounds for a civic case. I am appalled that any university or college would be so foolish as to assume that they are within their rights to confiscate property and act upon said property without having secured proof (or at least overwhelming evidence) to its legality or lack thereof. Whether or not the threat of law suit would work for you, I wouldn't be so sure, large organizations tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to lawsuit threats. I think your best bet would be to issue a statement to them of some kind clarifying your properties legality, and asking for a re-consideration of the suspension, and then making a run to your district court and getting into contact with an attorney. I'm unsure of how Connecticut works in regards to public defense, but I'm sure a little poking around there would do you some good. Edited October 27, 2007 by Geiseric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leadpipecinch21 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (Geiseric @ Oct 27 2007, 12:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I don't have to even look up Connecticut law regarding search and seizure policy for housing to know you have grounds for a civic case. I am appalled that any university or college would be so foolish as to assume that they are within their rights to confiscate property and act upon said property without having secured proof (or at least overwhelming evidence) to its legality or lack thereof.uuuh, have you ever lived in a dorm? you literally have no rights. if they want to search your room, they can. if they find something that's out of the ordinary and under any circumstance could be seen as paraphanelia, they can. it's all written out in the housing contract you sign when you move in. now, basically the only thing you can do is raise a fuss, bitch, and pull the race card.good luck with this though, i'm sorry that anyone has to go through this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemmiwinks Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 What school do you go to? Is it like a private christian school or something? I know if they did that to someone at my school hell would break loose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecult Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 i had a simmiller problem in my university when i was in a dorm. Just complain , the race card should work for you. Admittally they didnt raid my room for my shisha they raided it because i was making my own beer in it. In the end they gave up and they looked into it a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geiseric Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I did at one point live in a dorm, yes. I also got the hell out for that very same reason. However, one cannot deny the illegitimate nature of their verdict, and as such despite that a federal law enforcing a "one strike" policy still holds to this day despite constant challenges (giving property owners the right to evict tenants that are without knowledge of drug use in or near the property) you did not do enough to warrant even that. Their fault comes in that they made a decision without substantial evidence. I still believe as such you have a good change of making a legal challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shisha fan Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 you did nothing illegal, you shouldn`t even have to defend yourself. and try not to draw the "discrimination" card to fast, too many people already do that for so many reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASUSEAN1 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (Geiseric @ Oct 27 2007, 06:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I don't have to even look up Connecticut law regarding search and seizure policy for housing to know you have grounds for a civic case. I am appalled that any university or college would be so foolish as to assume that they are within their rights to confiscate property and act upon said property without having secured proof (or at least overwhelming evidence) to its legality or lack thereof. Whether or not the threat of law suit would work for you, I wouldn't be so sure, large organizations tend to have a knee-jerk reaction to lawsuit threats. I think your best bet would be to issue a statement to them of some kind clarifying your properties legality, and asking for a re-consideration of the suspension, and then making a run to your district court and getting into contact with an attorney. I'm unsure of how Connecticut works in regards to public defense, but I'm sure a little poking around there would do you some good.yea. at the dorms they are aloud to come in and look around, but they are not aloud to touch anything or open anything up.. even your fridge or drawers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheetz Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (ASUSEAN1 @ Oct 27 2007, 02:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>yea. at the dorms they are aloud to come in and look around, but they are not aloud to touch anything or open anything up.. even your fridge or drawers!Thats how mine was. Its the same for police, they can check what they can see but can not go looking without permission or in the case of police a warrant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bushbr Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 QUOTE (Scheetz @ Oct 27 2007, 01:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>QUOTE (ASUSEAN1 @ Oct 27 2007, 02:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>yea. at the dorms they are aloud to come in and look around, but they are not aloud to touch anything or open anything up.. even your fridge or drawers!Thats how mine was. Its the same for police, they can check what they can see but can not go looking without permission or in the case of police a warrant.in my college the RA's can look in your fridge or anywhere else, if they have reason to believe you ahve booze or stuff in there, but it's ad ry campus, and thats why. also its a private college Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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