Drahner Rd. resident Ashley Vestrand never dreamed that passing out fliers could create so much local and media attention.
However, that’s exactly what it did when she and another student were suspended from school for distributing fliers promoting the local heavy metal band Drahner. The fliers, designed by former Oxford High School student William Heller, feature a fully clothed woman sitting in front of an open mouth with the tongue extended.
“I never knew I couldn’t hand these out,” said Vestrand. “I’ve been handing out fliers at the school for three years now.”
News about the first suspension began circulating on Friday, Dec. 12, when a press release from David Stein, Drahner’s manager, was sent to media outlets. The band found out about the initial suspension when Vestrand contacted one of the band members.
“I teach (the other student) guitar lessons,” said Joey V. “I was shocked when I heard… We’ve had some pretty out there fliers and all and I never thought anything about it.”
“We immediately thought it was wrong and that they shouldn’t have been suspended,” said Stein. “We knew we had to do something.”
The first student received a one and a half day suspension after he was found posting the fliers in the hallway on Thursday, Dec. 11, and then distributing the fliers during class. Vestrand learned she was going to be suspended on Monday, Dec. 15, after the story broke in the media. At that time, Vestrand received a one day suspension, which she said was later reduced to a half day “in school suspension.”
This reporter first contacted Oxford High School Principal Mike Schweig about the situation, but he declined to comment.
“I would ask that you speak with Edie Paradowski,” said Schweig. “I have sent all the necessary information to her and she can answer all your questions.”
However, when this reporter contacted Paradowski on Thursday, Dec. 18, she was uncertain of all the facts.
“I’ve kind of forgotten, it was not that big of a situation to us, but I guess it is to the media,” she stated.
And the story certainly has received a good amount of media attention having been featured in the Oakland County Press, Detroit Free Press, Channel 7 news and Channel 4 news.
In fact, news of the suspensions has reached worldwide and been featured on a German website and in a German news article.
This reporter was able to learn that Oxford administrators objected to the distribution and posting of the fliers on two grounds. First, the students did not get permission to post or distribute the materials and second, the material on the flier was not considered appropriate.
“It’s not the kind of thing you want distributed in your school,” said Paradowski.
“The lack of permission was just one piece of it,” confirmed Superintendent Virginia Brennan-Kyro. “It’s also the fact that the picture is inappropriate.”
“One of the students actually took the flier into the classroom and was handing it out while class was in session,” she added.
“I didn’t see anything pornographic in it at all,” said Joey V. “I’ve heard only one complaint about it so far and that’s why isn’t it on a t-shirt yet.”
Brennan-Kyro confirmed that the students’ actions fall under the following infractions in the Student Code of Conduct:
n 16. Disregard for the educational environment; any act that interferes with or interrupts the educational process for self or others.
n 19. Possession or display of pornographic materials.
n 20. Distribution or display of pornographic materials.
The maximum disciplinary step that can be taken among these three infractions is a temporary suspension for three school days, which can be reduced by the administration after a meeting with the student and parents.
“The situations were slightly different in the exact degree and level of the violations,” said Paradowski. “So the results were different.”
A rumor that has circulated widely states that Ashley Vestrand’s participation in an article, which ran in the Dec. 12 edition of the Oakland County Press, is what led to her suspension; however, district administrators deny this account.
“The administration knew about this student well before the media article,” said Brennan-Kyro, who confirmed that the second suspended student was not in school on Friday afternoon, Dec. 11.
She stated that administrators then had to wait until Monday to contact the student.
Vestrand explained that she is not in school on Friday afternoons because she participates in the nursing program at Oakland Technological School.
“What I don’t understand is why they didn’t just call my house,” she said. “They did later on.”
Vestrand did fight her suspension through several meetings with administrators.
She states that she was informed by Mr. Schweig that action would be taken against her for trespassing if she came to school during her suspension.
After another meeting with the administration, she said the disciplinary decision was reduced.
“I would fight it a little more but I don’t want to create more drama,” she explained. “I wish they would crack down more on what matters.”
What concerns Vestrand the most is her reputation.
“I was falsely accused of handing out pornographic material,” she said, “that makes me sound just as bad as a sex offender.”
“Why couldn’t they have just said don’t do that, or get rid of them or something like that? Why go to the extremes of suspensions and such.”
This reporter did contact parents, who wished to remain anonymous, from two other local bands with students in the school. Both groups have passed out fliers in the past and both bands received prior permission from their teachers and administrators.
When asked about the publicity this situation has raised for the band, two members of Drahner were torn about the results.
“I just don’t understand how this could all be such a big problem,” said Joey V. “We’re musicians, we’re not businessmen, we don’t worry about publicity, we worry about the music.”
“But, hey, on the other hand, we’re pleased we got the publicity out of it. We’ve been busting our butts out there for the past three years,” he added.
“I’m just glad that she fought back,” added Johnny. “I got in a lot of trouble when I was in school and I never stuck up for myself. I just went ‘Hey, a day off. Yeah.’”
The band would like to see something good come out of all this media attention for their two fans though.
“I would like to see the school do what they did in private to our manager – apologize,” said Joey V. “I would like them to apologize and admit they were wrong.”
Both students had completed their disciplinary steps by Wed., Dec. 17.
No further action has been taken in the situation and no other students have been involved.