Cub Scout's "Weapon" Earns him Suspension
1st Grader Brings Camping Utensil to School for Lunch, But Zero Tolerance Weapons Policy Leads to 45-Day Suspension

(CBS) A 6-year-old boy's excitement over joining the Cub Scouts may just land him in reform school for 45 days.

Zachary Christie was suspended from his 1st grade class in Delaware's Christina School District after bringing a camping utensil - a combination knife/fork/spoon - to use at lunch, prompting calls to reexamine schools' zero-tolerance policy for bringing weapons to school, according to a New York Times report Monday.

Zero tolerance policies were instituted in many school districts across the country, at least in part due to violence at Columbine and Virginia Tech, the report notes. Their rigid enforcement is designed to eliminate the appearance of bias or discrimination on the part of school officials.

But residents, and some lawmakers, are now wondering why schools can't apply a more common-sense discretion to such instances.

"It just seems unfair," said Zachary, who is being home-schooled while his mother, Debbie Christie, tries to fight the suspension. That involved Zachary appearing before a district disciplinary committee with his karate instructor and mother's fiancé vouching for him as character witnesses.

"Zachary wears a suit and tie some days to school by his own choice because he takes school so seriously," his mother said. "He is not some sort of threat to his classmates."

Christie started a Web site, helpzachary.com, to drum up support for her son.

State Representative Teresa L. Schooley wrote the disciplinary committee, asking each member to "consider the situation, get all the facts, find out about Zach and his family and then act with common sense for the well-being of this child."

But the strict enforcement of the policy has its supporters.

"There is no parent who wants to get a phone call where they hear that their child no longer has two good seeing eyes because there was a scuffle and someone pulled out a knife," said George Evans, the school district board's president.

There has been a move to give school officials more flexibility in "weapon"-related incidents. After a third-grade girl was expelled for a year after bringing in a knife to cut the birthday cake her grandmother sent in to the class, a new law was passed allowing officials to modify punishments on a case-by-case basis. But that was for expulsions, not suspensions as Zachary is faced with. Another revision to the law is being drafted to address suspensions, according to the report.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/12/national/main5378839.shtml

Oh my word, where the heck has common sense gone?????

Some kids you just look at them and use a stern voice and that works. It's the kids that don't give a crap what you say or do. This kid is apparently a good student and doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.

Common sense "wooooooosh" right out the window.

if it's a combination knife/fork/spoon, then that isn't a normal spork right?

Ah you are right! Spoon + fork = spork

"There is no parent who wants to get a phone call where they hear that their child no longer has two good seeing eyes because there was a scuffle and someone pulled out a knife," said George Evans, the school district board's president.

I had a swiss army knife when I was that kid's age.. I can't remember if I ever took it to school but having a pocket knife used to be a right of passage for little boys.. you got one just after you got to wear big-boy underwear, usually from your grandfather. That's who gave me mine..

still, Rose, I think the school over-reacted just a tiny bit..

and I think the school board president needs to have his head examined.



No parent has EVER gotten that phone call.. When was the last time a second grader gouged out the eyes of a classmate? And even if that was going to happen, what's to stop him from doing it with a pencil? By his rationalle, there shouldn't be anything within the reach of any kids that was any more dangerous than a cottonball.

Come on, people! When will we realize that it's "intent" that drives crime and violence, not the implement?? If I wanted to hurt someone, I could do it just as easily with a ball point pen as I could a knife.

it was probably like this...



ummmm...why can't something like this just be confiscated and
held for the day with a note sent home?

That's the problem I have with zero tolerance. At this rate, kids won't be able to go to school anymore.

exactly.. sooner or later they'll take sharpened pencils out of their hands..