New York Eagle Scout Suspended From School for 20 Days for Keeping Pocketknife in Car

Originally posted by CaptGizmo
reply to post by thisguyrighthere

 

Sooo your answer is let the kiddies bring even more weapons to school and keep them in their lockers. What kind of rational thinking is this? Sounds more like the rantings of militia members. Allowing something such as what you have stated would cause death 10 fold.

I don't know if you have kids or not, but if you don't then maybe you would look at this from a different perspective then.



[edit on 10/15/2009 by CaptGizmo]

I would have expected better from someone who has been on ATS for so long. My point is that if you are going to give him 5 days, fine. I get that. But to tack on another 15 is where I throw the BS flag. By the same rules, if a 2 inch knife is a weapon, how is mace, pepper spray, nail files, keys or tools (eg, screwdrivers) not weapons whether they are in a purse, backpack or car..... right??

reply to post by Roadblockx


From what I understand, he was handed out the additional 15 days by the superintendent of the school board; who, incidentally, was not even at the formal hearing challenging the suspension. I figure the extra 15 were probably tacked on as an extra punishment for challenging the suspension.

reply to post by Aggie Man


After having read this as well as the posts on here, I have to say the only way they would have known he had a knife was due to either the boy told them, he told someone else, or someone else knew that had been a part of his Troop at one time.

Being a Boy Scout adult leader, like I am, the boys are taught as Cubscouts the rules about knives, and are taught as well if they are found out being in direct violation of proper knife safety that it can and will be taken away by their Cubmaster, a Den leader, or any adult.

This boy, being an Eagle Scout, which is an honor, he should not have brought the knife to school, due to a conflict of interest with school rules, no matter how stupid they are.

Now, as to the people who stated the definition of a weapon is different to some than others, a knife, no matter how large, small, or non-violent it may seem, is a weapon, even if it is just for outdoor usage.

See, this is where I see the vast difference though, because after delivering pizzas for fifteen years, with a no weapons policy, and knowing how to out-think the bad people, and circumvent trouble, I still see anything I lay my hands to as a weapon, whether it is a knife, a chair, or even a tire iron.

[edit on 15-10-2009 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

UPDATE:

Education lawyer Victor DeBonis is working pro bono for the family of 17-year-old Matthew Whalen, who has been banned from Lansingburgh High School for 20 school days.

Whalen says the school district violated his son's due process by disregarding state education guidelines when they suspended him. Whalen said he received written notification of the suspension six days too late, according to state law.

"It should be just reversed and expunged because it was just wrong — procedurally they did everything they could do wrong," the father said.

Nowhere in the school district's rule book, which is published online, is there any mention of a zero-tolerance policy, leading some to question whether Goodwin, in fact, was compelled to suspend Matthew.

Source: www.foxnews.com...

Just putting this out there for anyone interested. I'm glad to see that he has gotten a lawyer to challenge the suspension.