Soldier suspended from school (Eagle Scout, Honors Student Had Pocket Knife Locked in Car)

WTEN - Albany, NY ^ | 10/8/2009 | MARK O'BRIEN

[rmlew]

Last time I checked my belt, tie, pens, pencils, glasses and a plastic bag are all deadly in the right circumstances. The knives, forks, spoons and other tableware in a cafeteria make for good weapons. And the science labs and gyms are freaking arsenals.

[freema]

Happened to my kid, in grade school. My husband used the kids’ backpacks for fishing over the weekend. I was just glad they didn’t find the beer bottle.

Schools got nervous after Columbine.

A friend of my daughter was thrown to the curb after leaving his rifle in the truck during hunting season. Mom, aunt and uncle ...all teachers.

[Smokin' Joe]

Many of them have that little fold-out file that could be used as a weapon.

As 'the' standard of what is and isn't a weapon, the TSA won't let you on the plane with even the ones which don't have that file.

Fear my pencil! Seriously. Even sharpened, that little fold-out file will not penetrate as far as a Cross pen or mechanical pencil of good quality, and is not nearly as dangerous as the western-style belt buckle I normally wear on the end of a (roughly) three foot long leather strap (belt), properly wielded.

If we eliminate everything which can be used as a weapon, we have people in velcro attached straitjackets in a rubber room in restraints.

While that might make the warehouse keepers happy (as often as not, that is what schools are, a warehouse for the children of two-paycheck families), elimination of all the pointy things or other things that can be used as a weapon is just not possible. Even the power cord for a laptop can be used as a garrote, and a well torn pop can provides a foot or more of sharp edge, albeit unwieldy, which can be wrapped around anything stiff to produce a slashing weapon.

For the imaginative, virtually anything can be used as a weapon, if that is the intent, but there is so much else the average person would carry (even on a plane) which would be a better weapon than the fold out file (or just the nail clippers), I always found that particular ban to be pretty ridiculous.

[The Californian]

bttt

[The Californian]

Please start a new thread with an update for those of us following this story. Thanks.

[El Gato]

The Lansingburgh Central School District has a zero-tolerance policy on weapons. According to the district's Codes of Conduct, students are not allowed to have "a weapon of any kind" on school grounds. Even though a pocket knife is not considered a weapon under New York State penal code, the district also prohibits students from possessing anything "that reasonably can be considered a weapon."

It's not reasonable to consider a 2 inch knife a "weapon". Sure it could be used as one, but so could a sharp pencil, probably with more effect.

[El Gato]

Go to the Faculty parking lot and find cars with any windows cracked open to prevent heat buildup

A slight suggestion for improving your plan. :)

[GWConservative]

This is ridiculous. I hope this makes Beck and Dobbs. The Army needs this young man and we need him in the Army.

[GWConservative]

Angelina Bergin
Lansingburgh High School
Principal
518-233-6806

[MarMema]

ping

[DvdMom]

thanks , for the ping :)

[paltz]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/13/tarnishing-a-scouts-honor/

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Just in case this disappears overnight:

A

* Kim Abbott, RPES PTA Executive Board Corresponding Secretary, c/o RPES 233-6823
* Sue Anthony, RPES PTA Executive Board Parenting and Health, c/o RPES 233-6823
* Barbara Ashe, Education Foundation Board President and KMS/LHS PTA Ways and Means, 237-8700

B

* Darlene Bechand, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Recording Secretary and RPES PTA Vice President, 237-3009
* Angelina Bergin, LHS Principal, 233-6806
* Anna Bettit, TES PTA Executive Board Corresponding Secretary, 235-8652
* Lisa Blake, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 279-9693
* Wendy Bopp, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Council Delegate and Ways and Means, 235-6759
* Jennifer Bourgault, TES PTA Council Delegate, 590-0011
* Beth Brant, RPES PTA Executive Board President, 238-9122
* Kelley Bristol, RPES PTA Council Delegate, 237-7437
* Theresa Broderick, District Clerk, 233-6850, ext. 3400
* Paula Burke, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 235-8083

C

* Daniel Carroll, Treasurer, District Office 233-6853

D

* Erin Duncan, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 233-7274

E

* Fred Erickson, Assistant Principal, KMS 233-6809

F

* Debbie Fane, TES PTA Executive Board Parenting/Health, c/o TES 233-6822
* Erinne Flanigan, CSE Chairperson, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Teacher Representative, c/o Pupil Personnel 233-6808
* Pam Frazier, TES PTA Executive Board Recording Secretary, 233-6522
* Marcella Fushs, Principal, RPES 233-6823
*
*

G

* George Goodwin, Superintendent, District Office 233-6850
* Tina Gregoire, TES PTA Council Delegate, 590-0011
*

H

* Michael Harkin, Director of Athletics and Physical Education LHS 233-6816
* Sue Higgs, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Corresponding Secretary, 233-8449
*

J

* Kathy Jordan, RPES PTA Council Delegate, c/o RPES 233-6823

K

* Lisa Kyer, Business Administrator, 518-233-6850

L

* Jennifer Langlais, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Vice President, 235-5108
* Jennifer Laustrup, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 235-8216
* Adel Luciano, KMS Guidance Counselor, 233-6819
* Janelle Lyons, KMS Guidance Counselor, 233-6819

M

* Frank Macri, LHS Assistant Principal, 233-6806
* Erin McGrath, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 235-5525
* Melissa Morrissey, TES PTA Executive Board Asst. Treasurer, 237-6667
*

N

* Jessica Nikodem, Director of Guidance, LHS 233-6812

O

* Kathy Oboyski-Butler, Assistant Superintendent, District Office 233-6802
* Caryn O’Hara, TES PTA Executive Board Vice President, 237-4378
* Tracey Oligney, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 237-8172

P

* Shaun Paolino, KMS Principal, 233-6811, Lynn Pfitz, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Treasurer, 235-6775,

R

* Tammy Roberts, TES PTA Executive Board Treasurer, 928-6722
* Shawn Ryan, TES PTA Executive Board President, 233-6822

S

* Kathy Schongar, PTA Council President and KMS/LHS PTA Council Delegate, 237-7118
* Jenny Sickles, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Ways & Means, 237-4703
* Nancy Simonds, PTA Council Treasurer and Education Foundation Treasurer, 279-9567
* Mark Smith, District Attendance Officer, 233-6815
* Barb Smollin, Education Foundation Board Vice President, c/o RPES 233-6823
* Sam Speanburg, LHS/KMS PTA Asst. Treasurer and PTA Council Secretary, 235-2682
* Barbara Sperling, Director of Pupil Personnel, 233-6808
* Dawne Steenrod, TES Principal, 233-6822
* Chris Strube, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Teacher Representative, c/o LHS 233-6806

T

* May Thompson, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Council Delegate and Membership Chairperson, 237-7145
* Penny Tobias, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board President, 235-8626
* Jackie Tremont, KMS/LHS PTA Executive Board Parenting & Health, c/o KMS 233-6821

W

* Stacey Weeks, RPES PTA Executive Board Recording Secretary, 326-8055

Z

* Cindy Zadoorian, RPES PTA Executive Board Treasurer, c/o RPES 233-6823

[smokingfrog]

They’re talking about this on Fox News now.

I think it’s Greta’s show, but someone is substituting.

[smokingfrog]

Apparently covered by Fox & Friends earlier.

[DemonDeac]

Zero tolerance policies are idiotic and don’t work. Dolts in the community respond to things like Columbine by coming up with what they think is a sensable hard and fast rule. I mean who could disagree with no weapons on campus, right? Problem is that they leave no room for common sense and no room for an administrator to enforce the intent of the rule and look at the whole situation. The natural outcome is kids getting suspended for butter knifes and pocket knifes.

Were I an official at that school and not hampered by a stupid zero tolerance rule i’d just tell him in a polite way that the pocket knife isn’t allowed in the building and to please in the future just keep it in his car. Simple as that. He sounds like a kid who’d listen to that and if he didn’t maybe give him something minor like a period of ISS. Were I an official bound by this policy i’d just pretend I didn’t see anything and tell him the same thing.

[DemonDeac]

You also have to blame a legal system where trial lawyers have been allowed to run wild. Schools and even a lot of private sector organizations are terrified about being sued and often react is these idiotic ways. Thank you people like John Edwards for killing common sense.

[DemonDeac]

I have a grandfather who was in the Texas rangers. In middle school the teacher let me bring his old rifle in for show and tell. Granted that was a while ago but man have things changed.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Let me get the sarcasm warning out of the way before hand, M-kay?

WARNING SARCASM FOLLOWS!

The teen is a Eagle Scout IE. a Boy Scout on steroids, which means he's obviously a homophobe, so he's a threat to his gender dysphoric schoolmates.

He's expressed an interest in the military, so he's obviously prone to violent tendencies.

He's carrying survival gear, which ties him to the right wing militia movement if not to Eric Robert Rudolph, the abortion clinic bomber.

This kid is dangerous, that he sees fit to go armed with an assault pen knife only proves it.