Texas Honor Student Thrown in Jail For Missing School

Come on...

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Diane Tran, a junior at Willis High School who's an honor student and works two jobs to support her siblings, was sentenced to 24 hours in jail and forced to pay a $100 fine—all because she missed a few days of school.

The teen's parents divorced at random and left the state, leaving Tran to juggle advanced placement courses, college-level courses, jobs at a dry cleaners and wedding venue to hold down a brother already in college and a baby sister living with relatives. She was warned last month not to cut any more classes, but with a schedule and responsibilities like that, it's understandable.

Judge Lanny Moriarty wasn't moved by Tran's story, saying "If you let one (truant student) run loose, what are you gonna' do with the rest of ‘em? Let them go too?" Moriarty even said throwing Tran's case out would make him look "soft," but will make a decision about striking the jail time fron her record sometime this week.

Being reasonable isn't being soft.

[via Gawker]

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