More evidence that common sense among bureaucrats is increasingly in short supply. This time the story comes from Big Education in Lee County, where, according to this story, a high school student has been suspended for the rest of her senior year after school officials found a paring knife in her lunch box. Ashley Smithwick says she and her dad’s boxes look alike and she accidently took his to school. He says he carried the paring knife to cut his apple into pieces.
Lee County Superintendent Jeff Moss told the Sanford Herald that he couldn’t discuss the specifics of Ashley’s case, but that under school policy principals can determine discipline on a case by case basis and that discipline is usually less severe if a student who accidentally carries a weapon to school reports it rather than having a teacher find it.
“When the principals conduct their investigations, what typically is fleshed out is the true intent,” he told the paper. “Bottom line is: We want to ensure every child feels safe on our campus.”
Even more silly than Ashley’s suspension is that what’s in bold above. Let me get this straight: a student who realizes he/she has a “weapon” and tells a teacher still gets in trouble? So exactly what is the lesson here? Be honest and get in trouble?
Ridiculous.
