Boy, 6, Brings Cub Scout Eating Tool to School, Out 45 Days
By Jacob Sullum
Newark, Delaware, 6-year-old Zachary Christie was so excited about the all-in-one eating tool he got when he joined the Cub Scouts that he brought it to school so he could use it at lunch. Anyone familiar with the "zero tolerance" idiocy that has swept the nation in the last decade can guess what happened after that. The only real question is whether Zachary was expelled or merely suspended. Answer: He was suspended for 45 days.
But he might have been better off if he had been expelled, because a new state law gives school officials some discretion in expulsion cases involving students who unknowingly violate rules against weapons and drugs. The legislators neglected to address suspensions. The front-page New York Times story about the incident quotes "zero tolerance" defenders who say distinguishing among offenders based on intent can be dangerous:
Some school administrators argue that it is difficult to distinguish innocent pranks and mistakes from more serious threats, and that the policies must be strict to protect students.
"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 president of the Christina district's school board....
Charles P. Ewing, a professor of law and psychology at the University at Buffalo Law School who has written about school safety issues, said he favored a strict zero-tolerance approach.
"There are still serious threats every day in schools," Dr. Ewing said, adding that giving school officials discretion holds the potential for discrimination and requires the kind of threat assessments that only law enforcement is equipped to make.
Evans' concern might be grounds for a uniform rule against knives, but it does not justify treating all violators the same, regardless of age or intent. And contrary to Ewing, you don't need police training to tell the difference between an overeager Cub Scout with a nifty camping tool and a budding thug who brings a switchblade to school in anticipation of a fight.
Sign up for the OV Daily Newsletter
OV Social
Vandal K are you sure you know what you're talking about? Do you even know the definition of Antisocial? I doubt it. Maybe the kid likes to look nice. For one thing, a child who is only 6 CANNOT be classified as antisocial simply due to the fact that he's only 6. Antisocial behavior doesn't develop until adolesence. Do a little homework before you bash 6 year olds.
a kid in one of our schools was suspended because of a key chain with a little knife and i think that was right just like i think that the scout knife should have been taken just as serious.. You could hurt another kid with it and when they let this kid off it is saying it is ok for some because their parents fight it but not for others as usual totally unfair.
Anyone who feels the school acted apropriately is clearly a moron. My son is 6 and just started Cub Scouts this year. He is so excited about it that he is constantly trying to do Cub Scout things. Of course a child that age is going to be excited. The fact that the kid is being suspended at all is ridiculous. Let alone for 45 days. We'll all be lucky if the poor child isn't scarred for life over something like that. The fact of the matter is that a child that young doesn't understand why he can't take an eating utensil to school. Anyone who thinks the scool did the right thing please comment, because I love to hear from people who are of lower intelligence than myself. It make me feel like a genius!!!
I agree with Caelum on this one. When does good judgement by a responsible adult come into play. School administrators are so concerned with being second guessed at every turn, that they have become afraid to make a responsible decision, and articulate why they made that decision. Instead they will follow school policy so no one has to accept any responsibility. And we wonder why our country is in the shape it is in, cowardly acts like this provide a very good indication.
I should right school policy.
The child is under 13 .... it clearly could be a mistake or a misunderstanding when the child is this young, 6 in this case.
Confiscate Knife / Eating Tool / Whatever it is. Then bring child to office, discuss why he brought it. If it's for a non-violent purposes (as it clearly was here), explain why he can't bring it to school because it can be dangerous and it's against school policy. Send him back to class, call parents and have them come pick it up. Warn him if it happens again he will be suspended.
This isn't that hard to handle. People that run schools and design school policy are incredulously stupid.
I agree with you caelum(surprised?) With a child this young they should not have suspended him right away(Were there prior warnings or a threat with the knife/eating tool I haven't heard about?)
45 days is a long time for something like this when an education is on the line.
However, If protocol is to take the knife and suspend him for 45 days then that's what should happen. If they don't follow protocol then their job is at stake and if they do follow protocol and the bad rule gets changed they are safe .
It's easy for me to say that I think they should have broken protocol on this case because it's not my livelihood at stake. But I would not have suspended a 6 year old for such a simple mistake. If someone is going to be punished, it wouldn't be him. And breaking protocol is the first sign that a rule is bad and needs to be changed.
Except that look at all the attention the rule* is getting now without the teachers being able to be fired. I know there would've been controversy had the school broken protocol and had anyone fired.
This way they can keep their wages and there is enough talk about it to maybe get the rule changed around a bit.
I still need to look into if this was a third or fourth violation from this student and was the one that got him suspended or if he was threatening students or faculty.
It's very easy to pile on the school and say "this is No Tolerance run amock." But consider these 2 points:
1. This so-called "tool" contains a knife. A real knife. Basically a pocket knife. What kind of parent lets their 6 year old take a knife to school? I would classify this as dangerous.
2. One component is missing from this piece. In a NY Times story, the mother is quoted as saying "my son likes to wear a suit to school because he's so serious." Big red flag. Sorry, it is highly abnormal for a 6-year-old boy in 2009 to WANT to wear a suit everyday to school. It's anti social, pure and simple.
So combine those two things, and perhaps -- just perhaps -- this kid bringing a knife to school isn't such a bright idea.
Just consider the other side for a moment, that's all.
"It's anti social, pure and simple."
Please, Dr. Phil, explain to us how wanting to wear a suit is antisocial. Come on.