Zero Tolerance Strikes Again - 6 y.o. Victim Suspended

T

TheBluesMan

Moderator Emeritus
Boy Faces Suspension For Bringing Butter Knife To School
Parents Fight Punishment Over Knife

POSTED: 5:05 pm CDT September 27, 2005
UPDATED: 10:49 am CDT September 28, 2005

OMAHA, Neb. -- A butter knife in a boy's book bag led to suspension at Omaha Public Schools this week.

Ethan Gray is a first-grader at Ed Babe Gomez Heritage Elementary School at 17th and P streets. Gray said he didn't know the knife was in his book bag. OPS said it has a zero-tolerance policy.

Now, there's a standoff. Gray's parents say they won't send their son to school until the district backs down on its mandatory suspension, and the district said it doesn't have any plans to do that.

Gray, who is 6, said he brought his book bag to school on Monday, but when he set it down, one of his family's butter knives fell out onto the cafeteria floor. A teacher walked up to question him.

Gray told the teacher he wasn't sure how the knife got there. His family thinks his 4-year-old brother, Ben, put it there.

<snip>
Click to expand...
Read the rest of the article (with pictures and video) here: http://www.theomahachannel.com/news/5027982/detail.html

Is there a federal law that mandates the zero-tolerance rules in our schools? Think of the message this school is giving this poor kid. "We know it's not your fault, but we're going to punish you anyway. You can look forward to this kind of treatment in adulthood too if you decide to become a firearms manufacturer." :barf:
 
Josh - Let's be clear here. You believe that there should be no room in the "no-weapons" policy for clear cases of mistakes.

Do a search here about the high-school girl who helped her family move over the weekend and inadvertantly, and unbeknownst to her, had a steak knife on the floor of her car. A parking lot attendant saw it and reported her - she got suspended

And you're okay with that?!?!? :confused:
 
Now, there's a standoff. Gray's parents say they won't send their son to school until the district backs down on its mandatory suspension, and the district said it doesn't have any plans to do that.
Click to expand...
Good family. I hope they stick to their ... butter knife. ;)

pax
 
Josh - Let's be clear here. You believe that there should be no room in the "no-weapons" policy for clear cases of mistakes.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but no I don't. If we open up the zero tolerance law to "mistakes" then what will stop others kids from takings knives or guns to school and then when they get caught just give the "I honestly had no idea it was there" excuse?

Yeah if it's an honest mistake I think it is unfortunate that the student got suspended or expelled from school but that's just something we have to do to protect our children.
 
Yeah if it's an honest mistake I think it is unfortunate that the student got suspended or expelled from school but that's just something we have to do to protect our children.
Click to expand...
Well at least you've made your position clear. :rolleyes:

For some people, it seems, abrogating the ability to think independently is a comfort. I have little patience for these people.
 
Josh, first off, the "law" doesnt stop people from doing anything.

A butter knife is as much of a weapon as a sharp pencil. Rules like this ARE retarded, applying the same punishment for EVERY infraction of this rule, no matter the reason is a very heavy handed action.

A 6 year old, with a BUTTERknife... is as much of a threat as a 6 year old with a pencil.... should we ban pencils from our schools? making kids use soft materials to write? like a crayon?
 
Feeding your kids fast food, is putting them in more danger than letting your kids play with butterknives.

Not that I would let a kid play with a butterknife, and I doubt this kid's parent was knowingly letting their 6 year old pack a butterknife for offensive combat use.

There's a list on www.gunsite.com showing stats from several agencies reports on what kills the most children per year..

towards the top was heart disease, drowning, chemical poison, liquid/solid poison...

No where in the top 10 do you see, guns...or knives, especially butterknives..

So, since it's for the kids, lets ban pool's, ban bleach and all chemicals, Liquid and solids... and unhealthy food....HEY ITS FOR THE KIDS!!!
 
The judgement of a reasonable man should override law.

How in the world would stapling zero tolerance to a six year olds forehead protect them? :confused:

In the extreme the parents should have been notified to pick up the knife with an admonition to be careful about what goes to school with the boy. If I were the principle, I'd have gave the boy back the knife and told him you better not bring stuff like this to school or they'll make me get you in trouble....

Now THAT would be education. :D
 
Hey Josh,

I'll take you seriously as soon as the local jail posts your picture on the site to prove that you are there and behind bars.

Why, because I'm sure (100%) that you've broken some law today, as well as yesterday, and the day before, so with your logic, you really need to turn yourself in, mistake or not. Zero Tolerance you know.

Put your actions where your mouth is and maybe we'll take you serious.

Oh, what flavor do you like? :D

Wayne
 
Not quite.....

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. It's as simple as THAT!!"

Not really - you forgot the third leg of the dictum:

Those who can't teach - ADMINISTRATE.

It appears we have one such type on this thread...... :barf:
 
I have given this a lot of thought and come to the conclusion that;

Laws were made and meant to serve mankind and not vice versa.

Zero tolerance laws take away discretion and replaces it with unthinking intolerance irrespective to the conditions or circumstances. Thus, zero tolerance makes mankind a slave to the law. This is incorrect and abhorrent.
 
Unbelievable! No... sadly, I guess it is believable :( . A sixteen year old with a butcher knife would be one thing, but a 6 yr. old with a butter knife? I'm beginning to think that the main requirement for an educator today is that their IQ is measured to the right of the decimal point. A couple of years ago, we answered a "disturbance" call to a local elementary school. It seems that a toddler playing in his own yard across the street from the school had lost his diaper. He was *gasp* NAKED!! :eek: :rolleyes: . Instead of knocking on the door and telling mom about it, they actually ended recess and hustled the school kids inside like there was an active shooter about!! (seriously, not kidding here folks!). And they wonder why home schooling is growing by leaps and bounds :rolleyes: .
 
Yeah if it's an honest mistake I think it is unfortunate that the student got suspended or expelled from school but that's just something we have to do to protect our children.
Click to expand...


That says it all. "Its For The Children." :barf:

What next, "officer safety" over civil rights?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top