Boy Suspended For Carrying Knife Into School (He turned it in, still getting expelled)

The Indy Channel ^ | April 3, 2006 | Ap

[Abathar]

INDIANAPOLIS -- A school principal in Indianapolis suspended an eighth-grader for 10 days and recommended he be expelled for carrying a pocket knife, even though the boy said he had forgotten the weapon was in his coat pocket and turned it over to school officials as soon as he entered the building.

An expulsion hearing has been scheduled for April 10.

Elliot Voge, 14, told Stoneybrook Middle School principal Jimmy Meadows he forgot that he had left the Swiss Army knife in his pocket after using it to whittle wood last month. The next day, just after he was dropped off at school by a classmate's mother, he said he discovered the knife in his coat and immediately went to the office.

Nevertheless, Meadows suspended him and recommended expulsion. The action stunned the boy's parents, who hired a lawyer to represent him at the hearing next week.

[Littlejon]

Carrying a pocket knife when I was growing up wasn't an option, it was practically a rule of life. When I was in HS, I carried a pocket knife every day. I STILL carry one to this day. Hell, some of my teachers would ask us to borrow our knives from time to time when they needed them. I do not remember ONCE having someone pull a knife out in a fight or any other time with the intent on harming someone else.

For that matter, we used to bring our rifles and shotguns to school to go hunting before and after school. Kept them in the car in plain sight. One guy even brought a buck he shot one morning to the vocational building and dressed it there while classes were going on. No one said a word, except to admire his kill!

My, how the times have changed!

[Eagle Eye]

It was on the news about Pensacola Christian Academy last week or so.

[SoftballMominVA]

Sure--just think about the last few weeks

Story about a teacher's aide molesting a girl and her step-father comes in, assaults the aide only to find out later the girl lied and video tape showed the aide to be in the office at the time of the attack

Story about a boy bringing powdered sugar to school for a science class. Come to find out, the tried to deal the powdered sugar as a drug.

What is that saying-- A lie is halfway across the world before truth has her shoes on.

I'm cynical because I've been taught to be this way.

[digger48]

Stonybrook Junior High School
11300 Stonybrook Drive
Phone: 532-8800

I-65 South to I-70 East to Post Road. Exit south on Post Road to 21st Street. East on 21st Street to German Church Road. Left on German Church Road to school on the right (after crossing over I-70).

Click here to visit their web site:
http://www.Warren.k12.in.us/
(select "Student Services" then "Schools" and then "Stoneybrook Middle School")

[Eagle Eye]

Their rules, not mine.

[SoftballMominVA]

You are wrong. Knives have no place in a school.

[katiebelle]

I agree. My son has attended both public and private. Just because you pay for it doesn't mean there aren't idiots there too. I don't think this is just a public school problem. I think bad judgment and fear of being sued can happen anywhere.

[SmoothTalker]

Another example of how stupid some of the "get tough" measures of the education establishment are.

[samadams2000]

THe beauty is if you dont like the product of that private school, you call a meeting with the principal and fire him on the spot and then go to another private school.

[Always Right]

The student Elliot had been recommended for advanced placement courses in English, science and social studies for his freshman year at Warren Central High School. I am trying to figure out some mitigating circumstances that makes some sense, but my only conclusion is the principle is a complete buffoon. He even described Elliots as a "model student" in his expulsion recommendation. The principals rationale is that Elliot was aware of the policy and understood the consequences.

[digger48]

Probably a (317) area code

[lakeman]

Same here only 60's and 70's. We used to clean our shotguns in Ag class before hunting season. No self respecting farm boy went to school without a knife.

[Frapster]

I still have 'tattoos' from the sharpened pencils I inadvertently jammed into the palm of my hand while carrying it with the point pointed at my palm.

There are plenty of 'weapons' in school even without a crappy swiss army knife.

[stylecouncilor]

ping

[SoftballMominVA]

I just prefer to make my mind up when I've heard "the rest of the story" to borrow a phrase from Paul Harvey--not at first blush.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

"Ve are der school! Dese are der rules! Dey vill not be questioned! I am der principal! Sieg heil!" (Starts ranting incoherently in German)

[Always Right]

You ask all the right questions. There may well be more to this story. I NEVER trust these things.

Here is more details on this story. The only thing more to the story is how big a buffoon the principal is.

[TXBubba]

I was just curious what "gopsel" music sounded like. I've never heard of it before. Lighten up a bit and you will get it.

[6SJ7]

2 ways of dealing with idiots like this.
Ass kicking
Hanging
Personally I prefer both. One right after the other.

I think it's time to bring back the forgotten art of tar & feathering.

[dljordan]

"can't even express my disgust with these people any more, the number of people needing to get their a$$ kicked has ballooned to deficit numbers lately..."

This is a good thing. The kid has learned an important lesson about government, bureaucrats and power. No matter what your intentions are you're going to be punished. Are you an honest person? Doesn't matter, you'll be punished.