Teachers questions suspension, instead of expulsion for gun (West Haven CT)

WTNH-TV, New Haven, CT ^ | April 25, 2002 | AP via WTNH-TV

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(West Haven-AP Apr. 25, 2002 7:30 AM)_ Teachers at West Haven High School are questioning why a student who brought a gun to school was only suspended, not expelled.

School officials confirm that a teacher found a gun earlier this year in a student's coat, which he left behind in a classroom.

After the gun was found, administrators suspended the student for ten days and hired a tutor to teach him at home for 45 days.

George Mack of the teachers' union says the teachers are concerned that any kid who was known to have a gun is coming back to school.

Principal Ronald Stancil says administrators did what was necessary to ensure there was no threat, noting the gun was not loaded.

He also says administrators are still considering what will happen with the student at the end of the home-schooling period May Sixth.

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Lessons:
1. Kids, make sure that no one knows that you have a gun, and observe the CT concealed carry law, or your butt will get kicked out of school.
2. If the principal says that a gun isn't loaded, then he's right, even though you've been instructed that you should always consider a gun to be loaded.

Notice how many times the word "gun" is used in the article, and how non-specific the references are.

The administration should be worrying about how much more the suspended kid will have learned, not "what will happen with the student", at the end of the home-schooling period!

"What will happen" makes it sound like they're considering capital punishment.

[LurkedLongEnough]

A study in media juxtaposition of the words "gun" and "school".

[Tacis]

Is the kid the son of the head of the local NAACP chapter?

[Eska]

Seriously, pistols in backpacks are becomming increasingly common in our schools. Don't even begin to think it doesn't occur in your school.

Like so many problems in our schools, a reflection of societal dysfunction across America.

[Khepera]

I would worry less if kids (16+yrs) were allowed to carry a gun in school. That way no one would have an unfair advantage over everyone else and the bad guys would be more careful about who they pick on. For grade schools where the children are too young, the teachers should be allowed to carry. The teachers all should be allowed to carry regardless. All other rules are unconstitutional.

[Wm Bach]

Thank goodness he didn't have a butter knife or a crucifix, or he'd be arrested under their zero tolerance policy.

[LoneGOPinCT]

CT Bump!

If any one would like to be removed from my CT Bump list, please let me know and it will be done ASAP. Conversely, if you would like to be added the same holds true.

[2Trievers]

The ONLY place I go ... into the 'hood to teach ... where I NEED to carry ... and I can't! &;-(

[George from New England]

Say if your a teacher in the inner city, in CT, you must be disarmed at all times!!! CT's unconstitutional laws even keep you, even a CCW permit holder, from locking a gun in your car in a school parking lot.

[harpseal]

Better to be tried by twelve than carried by six.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[2Trievers]

You've got that right George. But there are some (male principals, VPs) I know of, who DO carry. They just don't tell anyone.

[Eska]

I could see it now: Dad, I'm taking the AR to school today, the one with the selector that rotates 360. The one situation I personally know of was a spec ed kid. socially/emotionally disturbed with all kinds of family problems that translated into school problems. Some of those kids really don't know right from wrong. Kid like that might go off deep end and kill another student, someones son or daughter.

Don't ever think guns are not found in nice white middle class high schools. Guns are in all the schools, and some of the staff should be armed in preparation.