Zero tolerance? Well, maybe not....

[wvjules]

A high school kid brought a gun to school. The school wanted him expelled since there is a "zero tolerance" policy. Last night the school board overturned the school's decision and the kid ended up with a 10 day suspension. Parents and teachers are outraged over this.

Should it matter that it was only a BB gun, no ammo, and he brought it to school to sell it? Or should "zero tolerance" be exactly what it states..."ZERO TOLERANCE"?

What are your thoughts?

Personally, I think he should have been expelled. In this day and age, zero tolerance shold be enforced when it comes to weapons in school. It doesn't matter to me if it was unloaded, only a bb gun or whathaveyou...it was still a gun in school.

 

[Nancy]

Zero tolerance! If he wanted to sell it to someone they should have made plans to meet afterschool somewhere.

 

[cinmell]

Originally posted by wvjules
Personally, I think he should have been expelled. In this day and age, zero tolerance shold be enforced when it comes to weapons in school. It doesn't matter to me if it was unloaded, only a bb gun or whathaveyou...it was still a gun in school.

I totally agree! He should have been expelled, the school needs to stand by the zero tolerance policy.

 

[poohandwendy]

Ok, I'll be the voice of dissent...I agree with zero tolerance, but I think it should be combined with common sense.

I think 10 days suspension is appropriate for the circumstances.

Should it matter that it was only a BB gun, no ammo, and he brought it to school to sell it?

YES, this makes a total difference, he did not create a dangerous situation. Zero tolerance should be applied to aggressive, dangerous behavior, IMHO. This situation does not qualify.

JMHO

 

[RitaZ.]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
Ok, I'll be the voice of dissent...I agree with zero tolerance, but I think it should be combined with common sense.

I think 10 days suspension is appropriate for the circumstances.

ITA

 

[wvjules]

Also, in the state of WV (probably everywhere), you need to be 18 years old to buy or sell a gun. Does that make a difference? Not only did he bring a gun to school, but he was going to illegally sell it to another kid that was under 18.

 

[caitycaity]

bb guns may not kill people but they can maim them. personally, i hate bb guns, but maybe that is because the school bully used to bring his to my middle school and shoot me and my friends with it.

i agree - if they have a zero tolerance policy, they should enforce it. otherwise, it's not a zero tolerance policy.

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
Ok, I'll be the voice of dissent...I agree with zero tolerance, but I think it should be combined with common sense.


JMHO

Then it's not zero tolerance anymore.

However, I will say some of the things we apply zero tolerance to is a bit out of hand.

So either you stick by your rules or you change them.

 

[snoopy]

Guns or any type of weapon should not be allowed at school, regardless of why the kid brought it. I don't see that his excuse of selling it warrants any different punishment than being expelled. I don't always agree with the zero tolerance approach, but in this case, I do.

 

[janette]

Originally posted by snoopy
Guns or any type of weapon should not be allowed at school, regardless of why the kid brought it. I don't see that his excuse of selling it warrants any different punishment than being expelled. I don't always agree with the zero tolerance approach, but in this case, I do.

 

[cynsaun]

Originally posted by caitycaity
bb guns may not kill people but they can maim them. personally, i hate bb guns, but maybe that is because the school bully used to bring his to my middle school and shoot me and my friends with it.

i agree - if they have a zero tolerance policy, they should enforce it. otherwise, it's not a zero tolerance policy.

Exactly what I was going to say.


You didn't happen to go to middle school in California, did you? I think we had the same bully!

 

[year2late]

If the school's policy was known schoolwide as being zero tolerance - then by getting him suspended for 10 days instead will essentially send a message to the other students "go for it".


We are not talking about the chicken wing gun or the picture of a gun. We are talking an actual gun that was brought to school. .

 

[crz4mm2]

ZERO tollerance should be ZERO tollerance. jeez.

 

[caitycaity]

You didn't happen to go to middle school in California, did you? I think we had the same bully!

no, new york. maybe our bullies were related though.

 

[poohandwendy]

Well, I still say, expulsion is really harsh and should be reserved for acts of agressive defiance, IMO. For kids who do not deserve to be in school at all. I think 10 days out is another harsh punishment that should be used for bad judgement calls. I consider what this kid did as a bad judgement call.

I actually do not like the 'zero tolerance' idea because it leaves little room for basing punishment on looking at a set of events and deciding what really happened and why.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

In this case, I think that alternate schooling arrangements should be made for him for the rest of the semester or perhaps even the rest of the year. Then, if that is completed adequately, he should be allowed back on campus under a probationary status.

I don't like zero tolerance when it results in a 7th grader that brings a Tylenol to school for a headache being harrassed or the 3rd grader with a plastic knife in his lunchbox to spread PB on his apple being carted off in the back of a Police Car -- but in this case the student in question clearly had a weapon on campus.

 

[eeyore kelly]

ZERO tollerance should be ZERO tollerance.

ITA He should have been expelled, and sent to the alternive school.

 

[Crankyshank]

I have trouble understanding how a 10 day suspension is punishment. The kid gets 2 wks off school. I only see that as punishment for the parents. Certainly no deterrent for the kids.

 

[poohandwendy]

or the 3rd grader with a plastic knife in his lunchbox to spread PB on his apple being carted off in the back of a Police Car -- but in this case the student in question clearly had a weapon on campus.

Ah, yes, but there is the rub...an UNLOADED BB gun is no more a weapon than a plastic knife, unless used to threaten someone. If the boy in question had pointed the BB gun at someone, even unloaded, I would agree that he should be expelled.

 

[caitycaity]

honestly, my take on it might be a little harsh, but here ya go:

the kid was a high schooler. presumably he was literate. presumably the school sent home a list of policies at the beginning of the year (i know ours did). rules are rules. they are published and distributed. if you choose not to be informed or not to care, and decide you are going to break the rules anyways, why should you not be punished according to the law/rules?

it's the same thing as if someone was speeding and got a ticket and then whined that it wasn't fair becuase he was only going 58 in a 55. give me a break. you do the crime, you do the time. rules may not be "fair" but they are still the rules.

jmho.