The Saga of the Suspended 6-Year-Old

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That's not smart, suspending an innocent little boy who is so young and doesn't know that the tool can be a weapon.

somebody of NY 9:24PM January 28, 2012

For everyone ranting about liberals taking away discretion in schools: did you miss the part about the study that showed that when administrators were left with the responsibility of deciding on punishments on their own, the results were obviously skewed toward punishing blacks more severely when doing the same thing? What if it was your kid who was singled out based on appearance and punished more severely?
I'm not defending zero tolerance, but it is worth considering the effects of leaving all of the decision making to people potentially biased against minority students. Perhaps the best solution is to provide a framework for decision making that limits excessive punishment but takes into account...well...racism.

tc of MI 12:49PM December 03, 2010

Zero tolerance policies were at least well-intended, but for their hardended, non-bending title, there are plenty of gaps. Previous comments have mentioned that ordinary school tools such as "pencils, scissors, or compasses" (KDaskevich of MA, Nov. 12, 2010) could be used as weapons. I myself have inadvertantly poked myself uncomfortably while knitting. (Don't ask.)
The point (no pun intended) is that the efforts are simply bandaids for bruises. There is serious internal bleeding going on inside the educational system that cannot be helped with any number of new policies or any amount of tax payer dollars.
The schools asked to take God and the Ten Commandments out. It is no surprise to me that banning verses such as "Thou Shalt Not Kill" has spawned various smaller scale (and no less saddening) Columbine situations.
I appreciate the effort made, but the public educational system will NEVER have my child in their doors for many reasons.

Amber Olsen of FL 11:32PM November 19, 2010

It may seem too much to pass down this consequence to this student because no one was hurt. But let's say he stabbed somebody, or threatened a student with it. The public would be upset if the administration responded "he is a 6 year Boy Scout" Parents need to think. Unless it is a school supply it should not be at school! He can practice with his weapon like tool at home. The next time a student brings such a weapon and makes a threat that wasn't heard by a 3rd or 4th reliable party, they'll be forced to follow the precedent set here.

CAB of CA 8:21AM January 05, 2010

These zero tolerance policies in school are the most ridiculous policies I've ever seen. It seems like common sense has given way to laziness by school boards that don't want to put any effort into doing their jobs. Wake up! The world is not absolute. If it were, why would we need courts? This moronic thinking does so much more harm than good because it causes people, especially children, to lose respect for authority.
Was anyone on any of these school boards ever a kid?
If the school districts have such a problem with weapons in schools that they can't take the time to use common sense and evaluate these circumstances on a case by case basis, then God help us and protect us from the next generation.
I hope my words don't fall on deaf ears. This is an issue that has infuriated me for years. My son was expelled from 8th grade for taking silly string to school one Halloween. Silly string? Really?

Chris of AL 1:11PM December 15, 2009

This incident brings up a salient question: what constitutes as a weapon?
If a boy scout multi-tool is a "weapon", then what of pencils, scissors, or compasses? All of those items could (and probably have) be used to harm others. Zero tolerance policies make no sense. cases need to be judged on a case-by-case basis.

KDaskevich of MA 4:09PM November 12, 2009

There is no way to make the punishment fit the crime in the case of younger children without doing it on a case by case basis, especially a 5 or 6 year old. A little kid like that can easily accidentally break some kind of rule for which there is zero tolerance without even meaning to or realizing they are doing anything wrong as in the case of Zachary. My younger brother who is now 60 told me about bringing a sharp kitchen knife to school, when he was 5, in kindergarten. He knew that he wasn't supposed to play with knives, but he didn't bring it to use as a weapon. He just thought it was a cool thing to play with. He accidentally hurt himself and didn't tell anyone even though it hurt a lot, because he knew he would get into trouble. He was a really good kid and always his teachers darlings all through school and a straight A student to boot, but even he wasn't a perfect child. He just did what he thought was a very small thing that he shouldn't of. If it had been today and he was caught he would have been suspended, I am sure. It is a crazy world. What does a mom do when her 5 or 6 year old plays when a knife and he shouldn't, but is basically a good and non-violent kid. He gets in trouble and is punished maybe with a timeout or having to give up a favorite toy or something, but she doesn't treat him like a juvenile to deliquent or go for counseling, because she understands that it isn't the worst thing in the world. If a 5 or 6 year old child or any other child is the violent type then maybe they don't belong in school with normal kids anyway and a weapon is just an escalation of the problem. Once kids are of an age to understand zero tolerance rules, maybe it is okay for the most part, except in a case where a student in front of witnesses has attacked another student and the only way that student can keep from getting even more seriously injured is to fight back. A person should be allowed to defend themselves. When my daughter was in 3rd grade a little boy was attacked in front of many students and having his head banged against a steal locker by the attacking student. He had to defend himself, but he still got in trouble because of the school's zero tolerance fighting policy. That is wrong. The school officials knew what had happened and they still punished this poor little kid who was already injured from getting his head banged against a steal locker. People just need to show some common sense.

Kathy of IL 3:27AM October 22, 2009

What is a six year old child doing with a knife? I'm sure his mother and father do not let him play with the knives in their kitchen. Why would they allow him to take a knife to school? Bad parenting explains this child's misfortune.

Tom of CA 6:37PM October 15, 2009

This is the ultimate example of unintentional collaboration or "enlightened" adults (the school board), the liberal mindset of the teachers unions, the trial lawyers and the ACLU. In an effort to curb decision making and use good judgment by the school leaders in tough situations, we all must pay a ridiculous price. The liberal agenda is destroying our schools and costing us all a fortune in lawyers fees and school taxes to protect us from alleged tyrants. What the students really want is structure and discipline, which is lacking in too many homes. Instead school boards and the liberal teachers unions want 'self esteem' promoted at the expense of character and responsibility. Giving a little more discretion to principals and teachers to maintain a disciplined learning environment without fear of lawsuits will mean we can spend tax dollars educating children instead of wasting staff and teachers time defending themselves against every allegation.

J Songin of NY 3:44PM October 15, 2009

When it comes down to the politics of getting re-elected as a school board member, look how the members voted. The key was to get a sensible decision without the board involved at all. Oops, bigtime failure at Downes Elementary
Zero tolerance usually means zero brains, zero courage---especially in anything done in "zero tolerance" by adults with respect to children.

Muser of NM 3:34PM October 15, 2009