Six Year Old Boy Suspended From US School For Using Knife & Fork

Super-Rush

I heard it on the wireless earlier and laughed. What next, expulsion for using a tissue? Zero tolerance gone a mile too far IMO.

Link

BEAR, Del. — A Delaware first-grader who was facing 45 days in an alternative school as punishment for taking his favorite camping utensil to school can return to class after the school board made a hasty change granting him a reprieve.

The seven-member Christina School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce the punishment for kindergartners and first-graders who take weapons to school or commit violent offenses to a suspension ranging from three to five days.

Zachary Christie, 6, had faced 45 days in an alternative school for troublemakers after he took the utensil — a combination folding knife, fork and spoon — to school to eat lunch last month. Now, he could return Wednesday.

"I want to get him back as soon as possible. I want to put this behind him as soon as possible," said Debbie Christie, Zachary's mother. "But I also want him to know that he has a voice, and when things are not right, he can stand up and speak out against them."

A spokeswoman for the school district said more changes to the school system's code of conduct were possible in the coming months.

The punishment given to Zachary was one of several in recent years that have prompted national debate on whether schools have gone too far with zero-tolerance policies.

It was not the first such case in the Christina School District, Delaware's largest with more than 17,000 students, which includes parts of the city of Wilmington and its suburbs. Last year, a fifth-grade girl was ordered expelled after she brought a birthday cake to school and a serrated knife to cut it with.

The expulsion was overturned, and it led to a state law that gave districts more flexibility on punishments. But that law applied only to conduct that triggers expulsions, not suspensions.

School board member John Mackenzie told The Associated Press before the meeting that he was surprised school officials did not use common sense and disregard the policy in Zachary's case. The need for common sense to prevail over the letter of the law was a recurring theme among the boy's supporters and school safety experts.

"When that common sense is missing, it sends a message of inconsistency to students, which actually creates a less safe environment," said Kenneth S. Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a consulting firm. "People have to understand that assessing on a case-by-case basis doesn't automatically equate to being soft or unsafe."
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Not everyone believed the school district was out of line.

Jennifer Jankowski, who runs the special education programs at Jennie Smith Elementary in Newark, said schools need to be vigilant about protecting students. If Zachary or another student had been hurt by the knife, she said, the district would have taken the blame.

"If we can't punish him, then what about kids that did bring (a weapon) for bad things?" Jankowski said. "There's more to the school's side than just us being mean and not taking this child's interests into account."

Several people spoke on Zachary's behalf, including some who said other students had been unjustly punished.

Dodi Hebert said her 13-year-old son, Kyle, was tormented throughout last year by a group of bullies who ultimately planted a knife on him. Kyle was ordered into the alternative school, but Hebert refused to send him there and home-schools him instead.

"You can't kick kids out of school for the kinds of things that are happening," Connie Merlet told the board. "This is a horrible thing to happen to our district, to be on the national news because you guys weren't paying attention."

admiralofthefleet

http://www.foxnews.com/images/575981/0_61_101209_christie_0.jpg

he looks like a future killer, best catch them while they are young

thomond2006

Was he playing knifey-spooney?

Fizman

thomond2006 wrote: »

Was he playing knifey-spooney?

No, apparently they had intended on playing 'Catch a girl, nyom a girl'.

Whosbetter?

In all fairness, he looks like a little physico.

Best not to give him any matches either!

brummytom

Fork-in hell.


That's all I've got, I swear on my knife

Borneo Fnctn

That's one ****ed way to treat a boy.

thomond2006

jackpalance wrote: »

That's one forked way to treat a boy.

fyp

admiralofthefleet

is it just me or can anyone else see the ironing in the school being called 'downes'

Shoop

thomond2006 wrote: »

Was he playing knifey-spooney?

Yes.....but with knife instead of a spoon. SO HE DESERVED IT

Midnight_EG

His life is forked now =[


Criminal record and all that, knife crime is srs bsns!

Overheal

super-rush wrote: »

I heard it on the wireless earlier and laughed. What next, expulsion for using a tissue? Zero tolerance gone a mile too far IMO.

Link

In other news a 67 year old man shot his fiancee mistakenly with a shotgun he probably got as a byproduct of lax gun control.

Make up your ****ing mind about which one you're going to moan about: more control or less control :rolleyes:


In all seriousness though your OP is widely misleading. It would have been a pocket knife that this kid was carrying around with him, and probably showing off to his friends in the back of class. Not the butterknife you pick up at the end of the line at the canteen.

2 stroke

The world has gone crazy
I regularly brought a penknife to school (to eat apple or slice bananna into a sandwich). How many kids today eat enough fruit?

davyjose

Overheal wrote: »

In other news a 67 year old man shot his fiancee mistakenly with a shotgun he probably got as a byproduct of lax gun control.

Make up your ****ing mind about which one you're going to moan about: more control or less control :rolleyes:

How about some common sense?

stovelid

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

http://www.foxnews.com/images/575981/0_61_101209_christie_0.jpg

First thing I thought of....

Overheal

davyjose wrote: »

How about some common sense?

How about a panel has already discussed the boys case, probably had the camping fork to inspect, and they still found it to be dangerous. So Im going to go with their ruling. Not your off the cuff blogopinion.

Shoop

2 stroke wrote: »

The world has gone crazy
I regularly brought a penknife to school (to eat apple or slice bananna into a sandwich). How many kids today eat enough fruit?

So how is finglas these days?

Overheal

2 stroke wrote: »

The world has gone crazy
I regularly brought a penknife to school (to eat apple or slice bananna into a sandwich). How many kids today eat enough fruit?

Unfortunately that would be enough to stab someone with if you gave it to a kid with the inclination to hurt someone. Or a prisoner in need of a shank.

ejmaztec

I blame it on the US constitution and the right to bear cutlery.

Cutlery doesn't kill people, people who use cutlery kill people.

admiralofthefleet

stovelid wrote: »

First thing I thought of....

you sure this wasnt the first thing you thought of

davyjose

Overheal wrote: »

How about a panel has already discussed the boys case, probably had the camping fork to inspect, and they still found it to be dangerous. So Im going to go with their ruling.

It doesn't mean they haven't shown a complete absence of common sense.
The article I read didn't give me any reason to think otherwise

Overheal wrote: »

Not your off the cuff blogopinion.

After hours would be pretty quiet without them.

Sir Gallagher

2 stroke wrote: »

The world has gone crazy
I regularly brought a penknife to school (to eat apple or slice bananna into a sandwich). How many kids today eat enough fruit?

Eating an apple off the blade of a knife is THE most hardcore way to eat fruit ever.

2 stroke

Overheal wrote: »

Unfortunately that would be enough to stab someone with if you gave it to a kid with the inclination to hurt someone. Or a prisoner in need of a shank.

Carrying a knife does not make a person want to injure others. In my life I have used several types of knives, power saws, chainsaws, shot guns and rifles, yet I have never used one to injure another person.

orourkeda

stovelid wrote: »

First thing I thought of....

First thing i thought of

http://www.indelibleinc.com/kubrick/films/shining/images/crazyjac.jpg

artielange

Overheal wrote: »

In other news a 67 year old man shot his fiancee mistakenly with a shotgun he probably got as a byproduct of lax gun control.

Mistakenly my ass. He had been married before and just came to his senses.:D

sdanseo

Bloody americans. They have laws that make it possible for

Kindergarten and first grade students

to be

charged with Level III offenses.

That's just ****ing stupid and depraved tbph.

Fracture

its retarded trying to send him to a school for bad kids for 45 days when they could have just told him not to bring it in again, he's 6 ffs.
The law they have isnt a bad one, but what clown of a teacher went and carried out the law fully when the kid probably just didnt know any better.

congo_90

Sir Gallagher wrote: »

Eating an apple off the blade of a knife is THE most hardcore way to eat fruit ever.

Just dont eat off the blade... Yea some dic<head in 1st class done this and spat blood on my copy! :mad:

Overheal

2 stroke wrote: »

Carrying a knife does not make a person want to injure others. In my life I have used several types of knives, power saws, chainsaws, shot guns and rifles, yet I have never used one to injure another person.

Is that what I said at all? No. Its not.

GreeBo

Overheal wrote: »

Unfortunately that would be enough to stab someone with if you gave it to a kid with the inclination to hurt someone. Or a prisoner in need of a shank.

A lot like a sharp pencil then huh?

brendansmith

America needs to stand back and look at itself

TomCo

brendansmith wrote: »

America needs to stand back and look at itself

America needs to **** off and leave me alone.
I'm sick to death hearing about America.

brendansmith

TomCo wrote: »

America needs to **** off and leave me alone.
I'm sick to death hearing about America.

You know they fired a rocket at the moon? They can do what they want apparently..........its their moon.
This is the same moon that affects the tides here on earth and also peoples moods etc and those fat cnuts are firing rockets at it. :mad:

Overheal

brendansmith wrote: »

You know they fired a rocket at the moon? They can do what they want apparently..........its their moon.
This is the same moon that affects the tides here on earth and also peoples moods etc and those fat cnuts are firing rockets at it. :mad:

wow. youre one of those.

here. come back when you have a good reason to be upset about that.

GreeBo wrote: »

A lot like a sharp pencil then huh?

Indeed. But knifes and pencils? We let our kids have pencils. Rarely steak knives. As an example. I left a modeling scalpel out on my hobby desk because i used to think nothing of it. 10 year old step brother and his cousin were up there while i was out: They had tried to use it to open up the wrapper on a puzzle they bought at the store. Of course who ended up stabbing themselves with it trying to get the ****ing thing open? there was 8 perfectly good stitches gone to waste. at least he learned to quit messing with my hobby desk the little bastard.

Sure, if he'd brought in a pistol, he'd have had no problems with it!

davyjose

brendansmith wrote: »

You know they fired a rocket at the moon? They can do what they want apparently..........its their moon.
This is the same moon that affects the tides here on earth and also peoples moods etc and those fat cnuts are firing rockets at it. :mad:

Yeah but i heard the tides may or may not be concealing Weapons of mass Destruction.

brendansmith

Overheal wrote: »

wow. youre one of those.

here. come back when you have a good reason to be upset about that.

Look overhead all im saying is that no matter how much you try and cover it up we all know that ye lot are lookin for communist martians.
Notice my post here http://http://www.google.com.au/

Overheal

Fraggles actually. Incidentally thats the first place we looked for Osama but it seems theyve all fled Fraggle Rock in the Afghan Mountains, snuck through a grocery store and somehow wound up on the moon.

brendansmith

Overheal wrote: »

Fraggles actually. Incidentally thats the first place we looked for Osama but it seems theyve all fled Fraggle Rock in the Afghan Mountains, snuck through a grocery store and somehow wound up on the moon.

Lets hope Switzerland holds an award ceremony for best terrorists ay? Bin Laden couldnt resist that.

orestes

The case was thrown out by the school board and the regulations for children of 6 and under changed in light of this case. Progress towards a sensible compromise if ya ask me

Victor

Surely a 6 year old should have one of these http://www.ronniesunshines.com/images/Light_My_Fire_Spork.jpg and not one of these: http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/7/16/633517670702387305-sith-army-knife---dark-lords-of-the-sith-go-camping-too---motivational.jpg

Mrmoe

He should have just stabbed them that would have taught them not to mess with him

netwhizkid

On a totally unrelated issue but in the same vain, I was on a flight once and was sitting beside a priest, when we got served the man (with rather arthritic fingers due to his age) went to open a can of 7-up but in his awkardness broke the tab to open the can.

I spotted his predicament and offered to help open it with a biro, hang on he said and produced a multi-tool similar to the one described and opened a screwdriver in it and punched the can open with it; and then looked at me and said "Handiest thing you could carry with you" I was amazed at the priests ingenuity and also wondering how did he get it through security. We proceeded to have a good chat for the rest of the flight mainly relating to GAA, they can be real interesting people once they are taken away from the pulpit.

Terry

netwhizkid wrote: »

On a totally unrelated issue but in the same vain, I was on a flight once and was sitting beside a priest, when we got served the man (with rather arthritic fingers due to his age) went to open a can of 7-up but in his awkardness broke the tab to open the can.

I spotted his predicament and offered to help open it with a biro, hang on he said and produced a multi-tool similar to the one described and opened a screwdriver in it and punched the can open with it; and then looked at me and said "Handiest thing you could carry with you" I was amazed at the priests ingenuity and also wondering how did he get it through security. We proceeded to have a good chat for the rest of the flight mainly relating to GAA, they can be real interesting people once they are taken away from the pulpit.

I want to have your surrogate babies.

slipss

Overheal wrote: »

Unfortunately that would be enough to stab someone with if you gave it to a kid with the inclination to hurt someone. Or a prisoner in need of a shank.

I have to agree with Overheal here. You can't have 6 year old kids bringing something into school you could stab someone with. But this doesn't go far enough. Did you ever see how sharp those pencils can be sharpened? And don't get me started on Bic's. Lethal in the wrong hands. I say non-toxic ball shaped crayons and circles of paper for all.

Cunny-Funt

davyjose wrote: »

How about some common sense?

eh cough, we're talking about Americans here man...

kowloon

2 stroke wrote: »

The world has gone crazy
I regularly brought a penknife to school (to eat apple or slice bananna into a sandwich). How many kids today eat enough fruit?

When I was in primary school the craze was for swiss army penknives, and who had the one with the most outrageous amount of tools. There was never any trouble with the things, have people lost the art of restraint?

major bill

bleedin americans:rolleyes: didnt think they used knives and forks over there. i always thought they eat with shovels(fat cnuts)

Overheal

slipss wrote: »

I have to agree with Overheal here. You can't have 6 year old kids bringing something into school you could stab someone with. But this doesn't go far enough. Did you ever see how sharp those pencils can be sharpened? And don't get me started on Bic's. Lethal in the wrong hands. I say non-toxic ball shaped crayons and circles of paper for all.

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=62529717&postcount=34

There was never any trouble with the things, have people lost the art of restraint?

these days schools are afraid of lawsuits on top of everything else. theyll do anything to cover their own liability if it means suspending a kid for bringing in a pen knife.

show me the educational value of a pen knife versus a pencil btw.

DominoDub

http://www.glogster.com/media/1/2/40/56/2405658.jpg

pickarooney

How do you sharpen your pencil? Lasers?