9 Year Old Boy Brings Knife to School.

[Fieldhunter]

And they wonder why there is a boom in home schooling...Morons. One of the districts actually had their state funding drop due to the number of kids that left the school and were home schooled, there is even curriculum online for it... My dad taught me the proper way to hold, care for and even hand a knife to another person (handle first) when I was young and I do the same to this day. Spend quality time with your son and he will remember it long after these individuals are ancient history (heck I'd take him to a ball game or a fun day MDing in the park, just so he knows he didn't do anything wrong).

On edit: if he took a hunk of iron ore would he be suspended cause given the proper tools you could fashion a gun or knife out of it...Again, Morons..

HH and GL.

 

[itsaring!]

To me it's pretty sad it happened that way to a 9 year old. Usually the news gets involved and makes matters even worse. When I went to school we were allowed to carry a knife with a 3" blade. When you get into high school and take a trades class you can make something more dangerous than a knife in school anyways. I have seen on the news here a kid who got in trouble for having some nail clippers with a blade in the set. Just hope he doesn't get traumatized for it. Be best he didn't tell other kids what he got suspended for. They can be brutal. I got suspended once for not agreeing with a teacher who said we evolved from apes. He punished me by drawing a circle on the board and making me stand on my tip toes with my nose in the circle. Schools were rough. And still are!

 

[Ice Scratcher]

At the time it was lost it was a tool, they are the ones that changed into a weapon. You son brought in a historical tool, not even close to a weapon or even a knife at this point...

<*)))>{

 

[Perquimans]

Sorry to hear about the situation. My advice to you would be to read all of the related policies of the school system related to having a knife on school campus. I’m not real sure what the exact consequences are--but the policies will let you know what due processes you are afforded. I hope it turns out well..

 

[Dirt Nuker]

What we as a group think should have no bearing on your decision. Do you think it was wrong? If so, go to the mat. Many years ago, I worked in the school system as an aide, just a couple hours a day. I had a real problem with my daughter's elementary school principal in this school. Another student, a real troublemaker, brought a bag of .22 bullets to school. No gun, but he bragged to a student that he did. Frankly, I don't think he did. At the beginning of the school year every parent is given a printed copy of the discipline code. The punishment for bringing any handgun or ammunition to any school was an immediate expulsion and the police are to be called. All the kid got was a one-day suspension (actually, it was more like a couple hours). This was no gray area. He knew what he was doing was wrong.

I was furious. At the time I had an inside track to the school board where I could actually get someone to listen. To make a long story short, I made the next year VERY uncomfortable for that principal. When I discovered a 2nd grader's "apple juice" turned out to be Jack Daniels, the kid got sent home for the day. Again, the student knew what she was doing. Once again, the principal ignored the discipline policy and elected to take care of it himself and keep it quiet. Yep, he regretted that move too. A few more years later after I quit, he tried to cover up something very serious at the school. Now, he's not involved in the schools anymore (and is getting sued).

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that standing up for yourself, your beliefs and what you think is right is the best lesson that you can teach your kid. Even if you lose, this will teach your child a great deal.

 

[13rannon]

This evening while my wife was putting our kids to bed my son told her that he had two Police Officers pat him down, search his book bag, and lunch box before I was notified.

Neither the teacher, Principal, or my son said anything about this to me. He just told his mother before bed.

This has got me real worked up. That and the description on the paper work only says "brought knife to school" it doesn't mention inert, non working or any other description. I am worried 10 years down the road when someone else is reading that description it will take on a whole new life and come back to haunt him.

 

[Dirt Nuker]

This has got me real worked up. That and the description on the paper work only says "brought knife to school" it doesn't mention inert, non working or any other description. I am worried 10 years down the road when someone else is reading that description it will take on a whole new life and come back to haunt him.

Go for it. Do your homework first though. If you get a hearing, that hearing had better have the evidence in question or it's a slam dunk win. As for it becoming a problem ten years down the line, I have never heard of something like this being a problem. They weren't serious when they say it'll be part of your permanent record. A classmate of mine held up a convenience store during his junior year and did two years in maximum-security prison. He has his doctorate now and teaches English in college.

I've found some principals range from little Napoleon types to the best people on the planet. Sounds like you drew a d-bag for a principal. Go get him.

 

[carcur]

what a joke
my son at about the same age got in trouble for shooting rubber bands in the air on the play ground
in ninth grade he got suspended for a year for taking a home made chinese throwing star to school
he was getting bullied beat up by other boys at school
really messed up his schooling he lost all interest

 

[coin chaser]

Appeal it if for no other reason to at least get your boys first relic back... I would assume they have to hold it and "file" it if they are suspending him.

 

[13rannon]

Thanks for all the support FMDF. I'm going to sleep on it and try to get this erased off his record completely. At the very least I want a full and complete description attached ideally with pictures describing and showing the condition of the "knife" and how it was found along with why he brought it to school.

Hopefully I can prevent this from coming back to haunt him later in life. He has learned his lesson. I just don't want this to follow him around throughout his stay. This is his first year in the intermediate building. I do not want his classmates to think he is a "crazy" or to be treated differently because of this.

 

[SWKDigger]

I am a teacher and will have my administrative certificate by December. Most likely the principal did not have an option in this case because it is probably state in the school policy (the no tolerance policy) that a pocket knife is considered a weapon. With a no tolerance policy it wouldn't matter if it was welded shut and encased in a big glob of melted glass. A knife is a knife is a knife.... and educators are charged with a providing a safe and effective learning environment.

My advice to you (and if I were the principal at that school I would have told you this) would be to appeal to the superintendent or school board, whatever the policy allows. Cases like yours are why there are appeal processes. Your son deserves the right to have this stricken from his record for future reasons. Lets just say that later on he gets in a fight defending someone that is getting picked on by a bully. They go to the office and his record is pulled and it shows he brought a knife to school but the bully has no real record. Your son doesn't stand a chance in that situation without a viable witness. If you can get it removed from his record then that changes everything.

With all of that being said, a lot of people are criticizing the school and principal without just reasoning (in my opinion). I truly believe that a no weapons no tolerance policy is a necessity in many, if not all, schools. this is coming from a guy that had a shotgun on the back window rack of his truck almost every day of high school. It really wouldn't be good if the principal started excusing some but not others. Someone witnessed the knife and the story would get out about how nothing was done. That would also hurt your son in the long run. He served his day suspension which is probably the minimum punishment. Good for him and he should have learned a lesson from it. But I say do everything you can to get that off of his record. Don't go in extremely defensive and close minded. Ask questions. Was someone threatened by the knife? If so who? Did he say something that was alarming or indicated that he might hurt himself?

I wish you luck. I think there is still a lot of common sense out there and I believe that rational thought will prevail most of the time, then again, I'm an optimist.

 

[Jeepy27]

Relax everyone. You're getting way too excited about this. 13rannon could have just said "sorry about that", then taken his son out for ice cream and maybe some metal detecting. The principal was just doing his job as he was directed to do by the school board. The real damage would have been done if the principal did nothing, because then the rumors would have started to spread. I can hear them now..."Did you hear that little Joey brought a knife to school, and they didn't do ANYTHING!!" "He could have killed somebody!" The people spreading the rumors don't know that it was a rusty hunk of metal, and the principal can't explain it to them because of confidentiality laws. Relax and move on.

 

[HarveyH48]

I really do believe this should have been resolved, in a more reasonable manor. Records are kept electronically, aren't aren't likely to ever be gone completely. There was no ill intent, just poor judgement. No harm done, no threats made, lesson learned. Disciplinary action, and a permanent record, exaggerating the incident isn't going to help the student. It was still the principal's call, as to whether the item was a potential weapon, or a paperweight. It's as functional as a knife, about as much as a photograph of a knife, and image. That's probably what the kid was thinking, no way it can function as a knife, it's not really a knife, or going to be a problem. There was no ill intent, no harm done. Why is it okay for the principal to put something in his record, that implies so much ill intent? When I do something is wrong, and I know it, but do it anyway, I accept the consequences. The consequences for this, is just way over board, considering it's a child, the intent, and non-functioning condition. A day off from school isn't a big deal, the record of the incident is though. Technically, it is/was a knife, but it couldn't actually be used as a knife, really a judgment call on the principal side, and he show poor judgment, like the child, on how hew resolved the issue. Not really doing his job, not looking to help the children in his charge.

 

[robby4570]

I really do believe this should have been resolved, in a more reasonable manor. Records are kept electronically, aren't aren't likely to ever be gone completely. There was no ill intent, just poor judgement. No harm done, no threats made, lesson learned. Disciplinary action, and a permanent record, exaggerating the incident isn't going to help the student. It was still the principal's call, as to whether the item was a potential weapon, or a paperweight. It's as functional as a knife, about as much as a photograph of a knife, and image. That's probably what the kid was thinking, no way it can function as a knife, it's not really a knife, or going to be a problem. There was no ill intent, no harm done. Why is it okay for the principal to put something in his record, that implies so much ill intent? When I do something is wrong, and I know it, but do it anyway, I accept the consequences. The consequences for this, is just way over board, considering it's a child, the intent, and non-functioning condition. A day off from school isn't a big deal, the record of the incident is though. Technically, it is/was a knife, but it couldn't actually be used as a knife, really a judgment call on the principal side, and he show poor judgment, like the child, on how hew resolved the issue. Not really doing his job, not looking to help the children in his charge.

I agree completely with Harvey, you MUST get this expunged from his records
completely. Failing that, make sure that the record gets clarified so that it states something to the effect of "while the item in question was INERT and incapable of doing damage due to age and time spent in the ground, it was at one time a knife and the schools' no tolerance policy prompted this action. This individual had no idea that the item in question violated any school policy as common sense would dictate that the item was no longer a knife, but rather a historic blob of rust."

That being said, HOLY CARP IS THIS FREAKIN' RIDICULOUS!!! That something as simple and harmless as this could ruin your son's life 20 or 30 years from now... The world is outta control!

 

[RyanChappell]

Zero tolerance for common sense is more like it! If someone could not be hurt with the "weapon" then it is no longer a weapon.

Did you even tell the principal where it came from?

My advice to you (and if I were the principal at that school I would have told you this) would be to appeal to the superintendent or school board, whatever the policy allows. Cases like yours are why there are appeal processes. Your son deserves the right to have this stricken from his record for future reasons.

Do that!

I would appeal. It sounds like a good question for a lawyer, just to have some back-up info. What a nutty situation! Would he be in as much trouble if he just brought a picture of the knife? The threat level would be the same.

 

[The Rebel]

I would appeal this seeing it was a hunk of rusted metal & inert. If it was able to be opened then there would be no wiggle room.

Better ban those sporks .

Also the #2 pencil is a dangerous weapon as it can poke someone's eye out....

 

[Capt. Morgan]

Just another example of common sense down the drain. Everything now days has to be black or white. <<POST EDITED BY ADMIN>>

 

[slag]

I would appeal on the basic principle that zero tolerance rules make zero sense.

My son was in a fight with a bully when he was in 2nd grade. The bully pushed him down and I had told him to fight back, aka, defend yourself, which he did. Both kids were given a day of suspension and you better believe I gave the principal of the school an earful. He was actually very sympathetic to what I had to say and told me off the record he would have given his kid the same advice, but that district policies have to be upheld and that he has spoken out about them in the past and that fell on deaf ears. I did let him know that I supported my son and would go to bat for him if this occurred again and that since the school is a no bully zone, I expect the school to take care of the situation before it escalates into another altercation.

He didn't have any problems with the bully or any other bullies again.

I did ask what my son was supposed to do and he said to hope a teacher sees the fight and does something, however, just the fact that another kid can attack someone, even if the person doesn't fight back, he is part of the fight. That is some messed up logic right there.

 

[JimmyG1952]

That issue makes about as much sense as the little boy who was suspended for chewing his Pop Tart into the shape of a gun or the one who pointed his finger and said bang.

 

[RyanChappell]

Proper use of knives is a major part of scouting. Boy Scouts typically carry knives to meetings and on outings as tools, once they are trained and have earned their totin chip. They are basically allowed to "play" with knives at will, but in the proper manner, cutting rope, whittling... Hatchets too, but typically in a roped off area.