When Drug-Testing Goes Wrong

We have the sordid tale of Kiana Crayton, a young single mother and a student on the road to becoming a certified nursing assistant. At least she was until she tested positive for cocaine after submitting to a drug test administered by the nursing home where she was receiving her training. After being booted out of the program after her positive test for cocaine, she immediately went to a clinic to retake the test. After two drug tests tested negative for cocaine, Ms. Crayton reasonably expected that the school would recognize that a false positive had occurred and she would be re-admitted into the program. Unfortunately, she was wrong. The school refused to listen to her when she insisted that she is not a drug user and the test was wrong.

Drug policy reformers weighed in with their views about the follies of drug-testing. Between two to four percent of all drug tests return false positives. The tests are far from infallible and without the appropriate measures in place, negative consequences can and do occur.

You would think that the officials responsible for this horrendous snafu would rectify this situation by apologizing to Ms. Crayton and allowing her to resume her training. Instead, the powers that be chose to shut down the program and leave 15 students in the lurch. Which prompted this concerned citizen to weigh in with the following letter to the editor, which illustrates quite nicely everything that is wrong with American society:

Bethany Home is getting negative press ("Nursing home cancels training," Feb. 7, Page A-1) that isn't deserved. Kiana Crayton is acting like a spoiled child who didn't get her way, claiming racism. Bethany Home is doing an admirable thing by drug testing anyone who comes in contact with their patients. Bethany Home has to go by the test results they did in their lab. They aren't affiliated with other labs and have no control over their tests.

Now, Bethany Home has canceled its program. Crayton should have thought about her fellow students before she blew this up in the media. I don't work for Bethany Home or the school.

LISA HAVEN

Ripon

We have victim-blaming and racism all wrapped up in less than 120 words. Why do you suppose the paper would choose to publish this letter? Does this reflect the sentiments of the newspaper and its' readers? Are there no people sentimental to the plight of a railroaded single mother? The gulf between Canada and our neighbors to the south continues to widen. I left the following comment to this story:

It is inexcusable that the nursing home is not being criticized for its' unfair railroading of Kiana Crayton. She did nothing wrong and was only trying to stay in school. She had every right to try to clear her name and she made a very valiant attempt. Calling her a spoiled child and blaming her for her plight is unbelievably bad form.

The editors of this newspaper should be ashamed of themselves for the bad judgment they showed in publishing this example of small-minded, racist, finger-pointing. Now I understand why African Americans are so over-represented in the criminal justice system. Even with all the overwhelming evidence that Kiana Crayton is not a drug user, we still have people willing to send judgmental letters to the editor.