Suspended for steak knife being used to cut steak......

[Eyerishgold]

What the hell.............

Felony: 10-year-old used knife in school lunchroom - On Deadline - USATODAY.com

 

[Sandy]

Yep,

My kids are 11 and in school in north Florida. I have to cut their food before I send the lunch so I don't send a knife. And when my little girl gets cramps, I can't send her with a single motrin, because of zero tolerance for drugs. (She might be dealing, you know.) I can fill out forms and have a bottle stored in the school nurse, but the forms require pills be dispensed on a schedule, not PRN.

The contrarian in me wants to send a knife with lunch and pain meds when needed, just to take care of them and to push the system, but I don't have the energy and my kids will be the ones who suffer and are stigmatized. Besides, there is enough struggle just getting the school to provide adequate cirriculum (that battle is on going)

 

[Goonie]

A felony? That's a bit steep! It was an eating utensil being used in the cafeteria, for crying out loud! If they found it unacceptable, they could have confiscated it, called the parents, and just said not to do that again. But, heck no....."we're going to act like morons and traumatize a 10 year-old little girl.....because.....we CAN!"

I guess, as Dylan sang, "...the times they are a-changin' ". I remember in HS back in the early '70's, there were a lot of us that carried buck knives in sheaths on our belts. Heck, there were a lot of kids that used to go hunting in the morning before school, and would come walking into school wearing their hunting clothes, and carrying their shotguns. They'd stow there shotgun and coat and such, and go to the restroom and change into school clothes. Many of the teachers would see the gun, and go over and check it out, and swap hunting stories! In 4 years of HS, I don't recall even 1 person being harassed over knives or guns in school.

But that was waaaaay back in the good ol' days!

I know....I know.....this is the 21st century and "...the times they are a-changin' ".

 

[youbet]

I agree the penalty seems a little stiff. But the school admin folks were placed in a tough situation. For example, when the school tough guy carries in a concealed knife and is showing it to friends during lunch in the cafeteria, does he just say "oh, It's for cutting my lunch" when caught?

Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to just apply common sense. Rules must be established and followed to the letter. If the student in question with the steak knife had been allowed to keep it and later (for whatever reason) hurt someone with it, the victims parents would sue for seventeen zillion bux, have the school admins fired and etc, etc.

Unfortunately, our litigation system and extreme parents force school admins to have zero tolerance and no exceptions policies.

 

[FinanceDude]

Unfortunately, our litigation system and extreme parents force school admins to have zero tolerance and no exceptions policies.

My son's school is like that, they even have a "fever" policy. I got a call at work because they took my son's temp and it was 99.5 degrees. They asked me to come pick him up, I guess that was the "policy".

When I asked if the policy handbook I was given permitted them to take temps, and the lady said she didn't know........

 

[youbet]

When I asked if the policy handbook I was given permitted them to take temps, and the lady said she didn't know........

In our schools, a child's temperature may be taken. Knowing this common indicator of illness is helpful when calling the parent of a child who seems to be under the weather. When called, the parents often ask if, in additon to appearing ill, little Susie or Billy has a fever.

Child sickness is another interesting area for school admins. Some parents feel that efforts to determine the extent of the child's illness, such as taking his/her temperature or asking questions ("where does it hurt") are inappropriate. Others are ready to sue and call for firings if their child comes home with a high fever and very weak and the parent wasn't notified earlier of the child's condition.

So, again, rules have to be established and followed to the letter or school districts wouldn't have nearly enough money to pay for the lawsuits.

 

[youbet]

I'll also add, the child was not suspended for "Suspended for steak knife being used to cut steak...... "

The child was suspended for bringing a knife into the school. I guess our press needs a little sensationalism to be sure they sell enough papers/magazines/web site visits, etc.

 

[Fireup2020]

This kind of stuff does not help my decision to have children. Absolutely pathetic that common sense has been thrown out with the bathwater

 

[haha]

This kind of stuff does not help my decision to have children. Absolutely pathetic that common sense has been thrown out with the bathwater

These kind of things make me glad I am now beyond having children; glad I homeschooled the ones I had; and glad that my kids will use private schools for any children that they may have.

I really don't like Mickey Mouse, even though as YouBet has pointed out sometimes the "authorities" get pushed into these ridiculous postures. Not that "authorities" don't sometimes act like they appreciate this little push.

Ha

 

[brewer12345]

I really don't like Mickey Mouse,
Ha

But Tin Tin is OK, eh?

My kids will be going to Catholic school. There will be lots of rules for the kids, but the school will have a lot more discretion than at the public schools. And ultimately if someone is a problem, they get booted, end of story.

 

[bright eyed]

Does anyone else think it's weird the kid was eating a steak for lunch?

I do think discretion and judgement are skills of the "old" days...

 

[starter82]

Does anyone else think it's weird the kid was eating a steak for lunch?

Yeah. Wasn't it reheated? That makes it a lot harder to cut.

 

[Walt34]

A felony? That's a bit steep! It was an eating utensil being used in the cafeteria, for crying out loud! If they found it unacceptable, they could have confiscated it, called the parents, and just said not to do that again. But, heck no....."we're going to act like morons and traumatize a 10 year-old little girl.....because.....we CAN!"

Hi, I'm new to the forum, and retired law enforcement. A little perspective, please, after going past the headlines.

Girl brings a knife to school - okay, that's a no no. School admin. tries to call parents, and there is no answer. Can't reach the parents, so what to do next? School regs say she can't go back to class, so call the police. The police also try to call the parents but there is no answer. Now the officer has custody of this little girl that he/she really wants nothing to do with, so does the only thing he can and charges her to avoid being accused himself by the parents with false imprisonment and/or kidnapping. I am not joking - I have seen that happen!

Never underestimate the stupidity of bureaucracy.

 

[Lazarus]

When I was a kid every boy had a pocket knife. Still carry one. Just crazy to consider it a weapon. Weapons are more intention than what form they take. For example a pen can be driven into you, eye, heart ect. Should they be prohibited? Might make school somewhat hard with nothing to write with.

 

[youbet]

Does anyone else think it's weird the kid was eating a steak for lunch?
...

The kid needed a good alibi for having the knife. Pretty creative if you ask me.....