Pubdate: Sun, 05 May 2002 Source: Decatur Daily (AL) Copyright: 2002 The Decatur Daily Contact: http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/index.shtml Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/696 Author: Clyde L. Stancil Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) MAN SAYS SON SUSPENDED FROM LAWRENCE COUNTY FOR NOT JOINING DRUG STING MOULTON -- The father of a Lawrence County High School student said the school's principal suspended his son because he refused to participate in a Drug Task Force sting. Officials are mum about the issue because the student is a 17-year-old juvenile. Principal Ricky Nichols did say that it is "a very good possibility" that he found what he thinks is marijuana in a student's vehicle. Jim McAbee, chief of the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, said his agents questioned students at the school last week. He said the questioning is in connection with an ongoing operation at the school. Dwaine Loosier, the parent who is making the accusation, said school system administrators assigned his son to the system's alternative school Friday morning. "The principal said someone had written a statement that said my son was involved in drug activity," he said. "He never showed us the statement." Loosier said Nichols claims to have found a marijuana seed in his son's vehicle. Law enforcement officers have not sent the seed to the state's forensic laboratory, but school administrators can act without test results if they suspect a substance is an illegal drug. Loosier said Nichols is retaliating against his son for defying a ban on rebel-flag clothing items. The drug operation that McAbeereferred to began in March, when a Drug Task Force agent posed as a student for six weeks at Lawrence County High School. The operation culminated in the arrests of four students. Three of the arrests resulted in illegal substance charges; the other was for possessing fake identification. Loosier's son, Jason Loosier, said a female student was caught selling pills recently. - --- MAP posted-by: Ariel