Boston educator allegedly tried to kill student over marijuana
LatestThe dean of students at a Boston high school stands accused of shooting a 17-year-old student execution-style on Tuesday after a fallout over an alleged marijuana-dealing operation.
Prosecutors say the dean, 55-year-old Shaun O. Harrison, lured the student to a street in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood with the promise of weed and girls. Harrison then allegedly shot the student in the back of the head, the Boston Herald reports.
The student survived and told authorities he had been selling marijuana for Harrison for several months.
Not only was Harrison a top educator at Boston English High School, he’s a youth minister and runs an anti-gang program for young people.
One of Harrison’s neighbors reportedly told police about “constant drug activity” coming from his apartment.
Rhode Island considers marijuana legalization
This should make Brian happy (Family Guy reference, y’all).
Lawmakers in Rhode Island introduced a bill on Thursday that would legalize recreational marijuana, setting up a regulatory system to sell and tax the drug.
If lawmakers there pass the measure, Rhode Island would become the first state to legalize marijuana through a vote in the legislature. Colorado, Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C. all passed their legalization laws through ballot initiatives, where voters decide on the measure directly.
Medical marijuana has been legal in the state since 2006, but it’s unclear whether the push for recreational pot will get traction this year. This is the fourth consecutive year such a bill has been considered in Rhode Island, The Huffington Post reports.
D.C. considers limits on employee screening for weed
The D.C. City Council advanced a bill this week that would prohibit employers from testing for marijuana until after they’ve made a job offer to a prospective candidate.
Employers can still set their own drug policies and test an employee after making an offer, The Washington Post reports, but the measure would keep employers from testing during the application process, giving applicants time to prepare for a marijuana-free workplace.
The bill had unanimous support from councilmembers and is expected to be approved. “It’s time for employers and employees to get used to the idea of marijuana being legal,” Councilmember Vincent B. Orange (D) told the Post.
Ted Hesson was formerly the immigration editor at Fusion, covering the issue from Washington, D.C. He also writes about drug laws and (occasionally) baseball. On the side: guitars, urban biking, and fiction.