6 year old suspended-took cub scout tool to school

6-Year-Old Scout Suspended for Bringing Knife-Fork-Spoon Utensil to School

Monday, October 12, 2009

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Zachary Christie

Six-year-old Zachary Christie was so excited to become a Cub Scout that he brought his camping utensil to school. The tool serves as a spoon, a fork and a knife, and Zachary wanted to use it at lunch.

What Zachary didn't know was that the gizmo violated his school's zero-tolerance policy on weapons. And now the Christina School District in Newark, Del., has suspended the first grader and ordered him to attend the district's reform school for 45 days.

Zachary's parents insist their son did not intend to hurt anyone, and they are fighting to overturn the ruling.

"Zachary wears a suit and tie some days to school by his own choice because he takes school so seriously," Zachary's mother, Debbie Christie, told the New York Times. "He is not some sort of threat to his classmates."

The school district, in a statement, said rules are rules and defended its decision to suspend the boy.

"At this time, the Student Code of Conduct does not take into consideration a child's age in a Level three offense," the statement read.

"This is the first incident this year involving a student under the age of seven in possession of a dangerous instrument. Christina School District staff and the Christina Board of Education are constantly examining ways to improve policies regarding student discipline."

At a meeting with the school disciplinary committee last week, Zachary's karate instructor and his mother?????????s fianc????????? made the case for the boy's character.

And Zachary's mother has started a Web site to attract support for her son before a meeting of the school board on Tuesday.

I feel this is apathetic, as well as a true lack of common sense. To add to this, they had gotten more lenient on their anti-weapon policy. One particular previous incidence included a young child (under 10) bringing a birthday cake to school along with a cake knife. That poor kid was expelled, with no questions asked.

For more information, click here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/educa ... ml?_r=1&bl


Information taken from here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,564605,00.html

Jesus, Zero-Tolerance is just complete Bullshit. I am aware of one kid who was expelled for bringing a pair of finger nail clippers to school. No, I am not joking. Lemmie say that again. A pair of FINGER NAIL CLIPPERS!!!!

The stupid thing about Zero-tolerance is that anything can be used as a weapon. Bring your own pencil? That's a weapon, you're expelled.
You could strangle someone with shoelaces. Wear shoes with laces, you're expelled. Glasses can have the lenses crushed into sharp deadly pieces. Let's expel all kids with glasses! And finally, you can hit someone with a textbook. If you have a textbook, congratulations, you're expelled.

Banning anything that can remotely be used as a weapon is just ridiculous.

^ It's funny because that's completely valid.

[jayman]

well.
it's still a knife.. i saw with my own eyes the pictures of the school's code of conduct, which i'm sure the boy's mom read .
i dont know . at first it seems excessive, but really .. that kid's mom ought to be blaming herself for not paying attention, and now that kid is starting to believe that his breaking the rules isnt what was wrong. i think the school was fair, they had a policy in place regarding knives , and this policy was breached .. end of story .

Originally posted by Omnigeek6

The stupid thing about Zero-tolerance is that anything can be used as a weapon. Bring your own pencil? That's a weapon, you're expelled.
You could strangle someone with shoelaces. Wear shoes with laces, you're expelled. Glasses can have the lenses crushed into sharp deadly pieces. Let's expel all kids with glasses! And finally, you can hit someone with a textbook. If you have a textbook, congratulations, you're expelled.

Banning anything that can remotely be used as a weapon is just ridiculous.

You're right

Originally posted by jayman

well.
it's still a knife.. i saw with my own eyes the pictures of the school's code of conduct, which i'm sure the boy's mom read .
i dont know . at first it seems excessive, but really .. that kid's mom ought to be blaming herself for not paying attention, and now that kid is starting to believe that his breaking the rules isnt what was wrong. i think the school was fair, they had a policy in place regarding knives , and this policy was breached .. end of story .

You're right too

The difference between Omnigeek's and jayman's is that even though the items listed in Omnigeek's post can be used as weapons, they're needed to function in school.

Now I don't believe the kid had any criminal intent in bringing the kinfe/spoon/fork device to school, but its still a knife. I believe the kid should have been talked to and told not to bring the device into school anymore.

I remember when I was in second or third grade I left my swiss army knife in my pants pocket from the weekend before and brought it to school by accident. I made sure to keep that thing hidden all day because of poop like this, I didn't even tell any of my friends about it until the next day once it was safe at home again. I don't know why, even at that age, anyone could think it would be a good idea to show off your new knife at school.[stoning]

[Oscar]

Banning anything that can remotely be used as a weapon is just ridiculous.

I went to school naked and got banned for displaying a deadly weapon

Hahahaha.

WHAT? You couldn't do a thing with that bb gun...

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by disaster249
I feel this is apathetic, as well as a true lack of common sense. To add to this, they had gotten more lenient on their anti-weapon policy. One particular previous incidence included a young child (under 10) bringing a birthday cake to school along with a cake knife. That poor kid was expelled, with no questions asked.

Schools with serious what I'll call "activity" have problems with stabbings and the like, and that's a serious problem. Excluding this incident but punishing a kid with gang ties would be "unfair" according to the law for the kid with gang affiliations.

Extreme? No. Just an example of all of society suffering because of a small group of total dumbasses.

Yeah, some idiot 8th grader at a local middle school I used to attend wrote on the bathroom wall that he was going to blow up the school. He was joking. He is now facing possible charges of terrorism.

^ Yes, but I would expect an 8th grader to understand his/her actions and the consequences just a bit more than a 6-year old, whose only intention according to the story was to eat lunch, with his cub scout utensil that had a spoon, fork, and knife. It's a good lesson in the end, but I don't think it was worth a suspension

There was a similiar situation where a mom packed a plastic butter knife into her daughter's lunchbox so she could cut something up and affirimative action was also taken against that kid....seriously, the mother (when questioned) really thought she was giving her daughter something to help her eat her lunch...never even thinking about the fact it could be a "dangerous" weapon.

I do believe in zero tolerance but there's still black and white within this kind of situation. I think it's important to explain right from wrong, but as a future educator, I can tell you many 6 year olds think, say, and act with little or no pre-thought. The last thing on that little boy's mind was "Oh...this could be considered a weapon, so I probably not bring it to school" versus "I can't wait to show my friends/teachers my cool new gift!" See what I mean?

There is no doubt that in many ways the Zero-Tolerance policy is Black and White. You can consider anything a dangerous weapon. Yes, I'm gonna kill you all with a cheap dull plastic knife!

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by coasterpimp

There is no doubt that in many ways the Zero-Tolerance policy is Black and White. You can consider anything a dangerous weapon. Yes, I'm gonna kill you all with a cheap dull plastic knife!

You break it and then sharpen it. I hope you all never run security on anything I mean jesus christ ya'll are stupid.

Heres me with a cake knife


Seriously, guys, do I honestly look threatening? Its not even frickin sharp!

While i agree with the school, i feel the action was a bit much. yes he deserved something but full on suspension? Thats a little over the edge dont ya think? I would have given him a stern talking to and a warning maybe some dentention but not full on suspention.

^[approve]

Its not really the suspension that gets me, even though that is really strict for a 6 year old, its the reform school. Sending him there will put wrong ideas in his head such as that he is a bad kid and that he did something seriously wrong. Totally agree with you in saying that he needs to be talked to, but not necessarily sternly. He should be told kindly that he doesn't need to take potentially dangerous items to school.

I don't think he should be punished. He wasn't intending any harm- for gods sake he was gonna eat lunch with it!

[Coasterkidmwm]

And the guy who shot Kennedy just wanted to clean out his gun. Again, I seriously hope none of you ever work security. What you're saying works in suburbs, but not other areas.