Ten Year Old Girl Arrested for Eating with a Steak Knife

[Chef Dave]

A 5th grade student was arrested in Florida. Her crime? She brought a 4 inch steak knife to school. The school cafeteria had served steak and she was using the steak knife to cut her steak.

Use of a steak knife was a violation of district policy. All students in the Marion County School District sign a form with their parents stating that they have read and understand school policy. Page 25 of the district handbook specifically bans guns and "other weapons" from school. Students who knowingly violate this policy are subject to discipline that may include a 1 year expulsion. With this being said, I doubt whether the parents or the child actually took the time to actually read all 50 pages of the student handbook.

http://www.marion.k12.fl.us/students/docs/CodeOfConduct.pdf

Teachers confiscated the knife and called the police. Unable to reach the child's parents, the deputies placed the girl under arrest for having violated the school's zero tolerance policy regarding knives on campus.

The student now faces a felony charge for the possession of a weapon on school property. She has been suspended for ten days.

http://www.wftv.com/news/14858405/detail.html

What do you think?

As someone who works at a school with a zero tolerance policy, I support this policy ... but a 10 day suspension seems extreme.

Insofar as the student was not brandishing the knife or threatening anyone with the blade, I think calling the police was a bit excessive. Having her arrested also seems unduly excessive.

[mopar]

A 10 day suspension does seem extreme unless the girl has a previous track record at the school. I think that the school should suspend her, but maybe more of a 2 or 3 day suspension. The parents should have understood the zero tolerance policy. I am sure that it is not only stated in the handbook but probably also at board meetings and open house.

[Chef Dave]

Hmmmmm ... the newspaper reports don't mention what kind of student this child is or whether she has had prior disciplinary problems.

Her uncle described her as a "good kid" who had been devastated by the experience to the point that she had "cried her eyes out."

It will be interesting to see whether there are any follow up stories reported by the media.

[mopar]

There probably will be follow up stories. If this experience caused her to cry her eyes out...then she probably is a good student. At least I would think.

[Spectre]

This is the problem with "zero tolerance" policies. There's no wiggle room. I fully understand the need to protect the community, but this affair seems just a little over the edge....

[titansrst]

I believe in zero tolerance within reason. This should have been handled in-house, and I believe a short suspension (for parental stupidity) was warranted, maybe 2-3 days. But an arrest? Come on!

[javamomma]

I also agree that there has to be reason with zero tolerance.
However, I also know from experience, that the media gets a story and often only tells part of the story. Who knows what the entire story is behind this.

[Chef Dave]

Who knows what the entire story is behind this.

True enough. I've been looking for a follow up story but haven't seen one.

Despite one uncle who was quoted as saying that his niece was a "good kid," we really don't know anything about her.

Has she had prior problems with discipline?

What does her classroom teacher think of her?

Did the teachers who called the police have the support of the building administrator or did they exceed their authority?

[mopar]

There are always a lot of unanswered questions. But zero tolerance policies also need some wiggle room. We keep to a zero tolerance policy at my school but is does have some wiggle room. We can give the students up to a certain punishment. That way we can use 1,2,or 3 day suspensions for smaller offenses and use larger ones when warranted.

I would think that the building administrator would have been the one to call the police. Maybe that is school policy or the administration was out if the teachers needed to do it. We usually do call the police for "weapons" in the school. However, most of the time the problems are dealt with in the school.

[mopar]

I should add that the police only take over when warranted. Maybe the girl had a prior arrest record or involvement with the police...

[javamomma]

I would be interested in a follow up. :)

[busbus]

It's so sad! However, remember a year or two ago, a kindergarten student was suspended for kissing one of his female classmates on the cheek. What was it called? Sexual harassment! It was on the news and in the papers.

busbus

[busbus]

I agree with you, Chef Dave. Even though you feel that the 10-day suspension was excessive, I don't. Life is not fair. Just hope that the same punishment will be applied to another student or other students if charged with the same infraction of the rules. In other words, NO DOUBLE STANDARDS or DIFFERENT STANDARDS FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS!

In the district where I work, school police officers are in the schools daily. They can take any child out, 10 years of age and older, in cuffs. I've seen them cuff students for "stupid" things; however, in the case of this young girl, can you imagine the various scenarios that could have happened because of that knife being in a young child's hands?

busbus

[Spectre]

It's so sad! However, remember a year or two ago, a kindergarten student was suspended for kissing one of his female classmates on the cheek. What was it called? Sexual harassment! It was on the news and in the papers.

busbus

How WELL I remember that one. It portrayed us Tar Heels as dimwits before the whole universe!

I felt like crawling under a rock.....:confused:

[Chef Dave]

Now ... contrast the story about the 10 year old with the steak knife and the following story about a 16 year old female student.

On 12/20/07, a high school freshman in Ohio interrupted class with her disruptive behavior. When the substitute got on the classroom phone to call the office, the girl produced a serrated knife and ordered the teacher to put the phone down.

The girl was disarmed by a police deputy who had been assigned to the school.

She was placed under arrest and taken to a youth detention center. She was later transferred to a mental health facility for evaluation.

http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_354231135.html

[javamomma]

This student had a knife for a totally different purpose than the 10 year old. She should be removed from the school!

[kingrichie]

I wasn't there, so I don't know all the details. But, come on! The parents should better. IT'S A KNIFE.
All choices, good or bad, come with consequences.