:: Why would we trust school administrators who cannot tell the difference between an imaginary “weapon” fashioned out of a cupcake and something that is genuinely dangerous? ::
A question that should be asked at the local school board meeting, IMO.
In most cases you will probably find that even if the school board thinks that the administration over reacted they will defer to the judgment of the administration because they are the “Professionals”.
People who run for school board are largely there to control the money to protect their pet programs and are really not at all interested in education or protecting the kids from the system.