Posted on 04/26/2014 8:10:37 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Zero tolerance strikes again, with a vengeance: A Maryland high school expelled a well-behaved 18-year-old student who accidentally brought a shotgun onto school property because he left it in his car after returning from a hunting trip.
The student, 18-year-old Patrick Bryan Mitchell, was expelled from South River High School. He was also arrested by county police and received a mugshot. He is barred from possessing a gun for a year.
He missed his senior lacrosse season, several weeks of school, and his chances at an athletic scholarship to Pfeiffer College were crushed. He was forced to drop out of two Advanced Placement courses, and has attempted to keep up with his studies by enrolling in online classes.
Now he has a simple request: to attend graduation and senior prom. He has filed an appeal with the Board of Education of Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
At his appeals hearing on Thursday, he made clear he realizes his mistake was a serious one.
“I just wanted [the hearing examiner] to realize that it was a mistake, and I had no ill intent on harming anyone,” he said, according to The Baltimore Sun. “I love South River. I love everybody in it. It’s just a shame.”
His mother told reporters that her son should not be punished so vigorously for something that was purely accidental.
“I believe it was a small mistake,” she said. “It was a serious mistake, but a small mistake.”
But Laurie Pritchard, the district’s legal director, disagreed.
“The superintendent certainly does not consider possession of a shotgun with ammunition in a vehicle on school property … to be something small,” she said in a statement. “Bryan is by all accounts … a very nice young man, and I’m glad to say he’s on track to graduate. This, however, is a very serious matter.
Both Principal William Myers and Interim Superintendent Mamie J. Perkins maintained that expulsion was the correct verdict, according to the Capital Gazette.
Perkins did not respond to a request for comment as to whether she believed Mitchell should be allowed to graduate.
Mitchell is hopeful that the board will vote to allow him to attend prom and graduation, though he realizes that’s a long shot.
The shotgun was discovered in the seat of his car, which he had parked in the school parking lot because he was late to class that February morning. An administrator noticed that his parking credentials were outdated, inspected the car and discovered the weapon.
Mitchell created a dangerous situation, according to Pritchard.
“We’re very lucky nothing happened,” she said.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
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Man. That shotgun could have jumped out of that locked car, grabbed some shells and run into the locked school doors, loaded itself and gone of half cocked.
Back in the day, we could leave ours loaded, in our pickups, in the headache rack, with the windows rolled down and the only person who would notice would be the principal who’d say, “Hey, nice shotgun there, Joe.”
This kid needs to be sentenced to at least 15 years. /s
Created a dangerous situation, like the gun was going to unlock the car doors and leap out and begin shooting at people?
Sadly there could be some truth to it if it was in plain view and there were nuts on campus desperate enough to break into the car and steal the gun and wreak mischief... and they hadn’t already been able to figure out some other way to do it.
Everyone is acting like an automaton set on “nutcase.”
How did this administrator “inspect” the car, and by what legal authority can he do so? Is he a law enforcement officer? Did he have the driver’s consent, or probable cause to believe a crime was in progress? The whole situation stinks...
Just think what might have happened if he’d left a box of donuts in the car - half the school could have become obese. And heaven forbid there’s been a pack of condoms in view...
What - the nannies haven’t invoked zero tolerance on those things yet? Never mind, then...
Sorry no sympathy here. The Kid should have known better! You are talking a School here! Panic is there mode! I know it was not meant to put anyone in harms way but hey does this Kid never read the news! He will just have to suck it up and go with the flow after putting his future in the hands of the law!
He is a liberal. What a whimp. Just call them tyrants and tell them to stuff it.
My guess would be, looked in the windows.
Everybody goes ape poop at the sight of a gun today, it seems. I’m half surprised he wasn’t accused of inciting a panic. Of course it really wouldn’t be his fault, but sadly he ought to know better.
What a crock. When I was in grade school, guys would actually bring their hunting gear (including rifles) to school and leave ‘em in the cloakroom so they could go hunting as soon as the clock hit 3PM.
The goal:
To produce a nation of mind-scrambled girly-boys who are utterly incapable of defending themselves, their families ( if they can figure out how to get out of their single mom's basement) and our nation's freedom.
Is it just me or am I seeing an unusual number of swishy 20-something males out and about in the community? And... I live in a red state, too!
My brother was on the target shooting team. He carried his 22 rifle slung over his shoulder to high school. He stored it in his locker.
Just keep them in the trunk, to avoid scaring the faint-hearted! ;)
Thoughtcrime
Imagine what it would be like without the 2nd Amendment.
Maybe it’s just my views here, but I think there’s starting to be a real pushback on this.
Liberals in the media have been pushing their two agendas gun control and affirmative action well ... forever.
I think that the American patience with this, is running out. I think the issue with the rancher in Arizona is an illustration that things could start to go the opposite direction now.
Maybe it’s just my viewpoint however. But it seems to me, people are starting to get it.
Sending a kid to a government school is akin to child abuse.
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