a student fails 12th grade english

who's responsible?

This young man is old enough to; drive a car, vote, sign binding contracts. decide who to kill or not in some far off corner of the world, to get some young girl pregnant, drink alcohol (albeit illegally), decide whether or not to go to school and attend classes, ...

The parents want the schools to take responsibility for the problem. It was their failure to tell the parents what the parents should already have known.

The Administration, at the top, wants a lower level administrator to take one for the team. Like Sgt. Schultz; Beth Everitt, "knows nothing".

The teacher, apparently, wants the student to take responsibility.

I, am inclined to agree.