VA: More zero-tolerance insanity

[seamusTX]

In Spotsylvania County, Virginia (middle of nowhere), a 14-year-old high-school honor student who was in JROTC was suspended for the rest of the school year for shooting plastic "spitwads" through the empty tube of a pen at other students.

He was originally given a 10-day suspension, but the school board school board jacked it up to a year because the boy used a "weapon."

He was also charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and sent to a criminal justice diversion program.

http://nation.foxnews.com/campus/2011/0 ... lls-school" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is the rural south, people. The main road of Spotsylvania is Robert E. Lee Dr.

- Jim

[C-dub]

I just can't believe these things sometimes. They probably think they have stopped a future mass murderer. I wonder how many of them or members of their family did the very same thing when they were kids?

[seamusTX]

If I did that when I was the same age, I would either have been slapped upside the head or made to clean toilets for a week. In either case I would have prayed my parents didn't find out.

- Jim

[Keith B]

When I was in Jr. High, we had a classroom that kept getting darker and darker in the back corner. The teacher finally commented on how dim the light was back in our area. When she came back and looked up at the light (one of the old school house type globes) the whole backside was covered in spit-wads that were stuck to it. Luckily she was not real good on geometry and didn't figure out that the trajectory angle to hit that side of the light came from about 3 desks in the back corner (or maybe she did and just let it go ). The next day the room was back to normal light levels as the she had the janitors clean off the globe that night.

[Oldgringo]

It's ironic that Virginia is a "Gold Star" open carry state. I reckon that doesn't apply to spit-wads?

[Piney]

I read these type of reports about kids getting suspended and even arrested and it causes me to wonder about those in charge of our educational systems. These types appear to be more concerned about publicity than the real reason they are in the position- to furthur education. I absolutely agree with taking that type of zero-tolerance action should the student have drugs, a weapon or gets violent-- but come on-- spitwads, photos of guns/knifes, etc ??

Down memory lane, most boys carried a pocket knife at school. I dont remember anyone getting stabbed. I remember shooting huge spitwads-- and no arrests--an occasional whippin though.

I've been involved in education most of my professional career. I"ve seen my share bonehead decisions at both the local and state levels. I am afraid that I am at a loss on this and similar ones. Might anyone have an insight into the cause of these reactionary decisions being made by educators (ok, ok-- educational administrators-- don't want to offend the general educator population) ?

[seamusTX]

The reason that zero-tolerance policies were adopted is pretty well understood (even if it makes some people uncomfortable): There used to be two flavors of justice, one for the "chosen few" and another for everyone else.

Eventually "everyone else" got tired of the situation, and probably some lawsuits were filed, so we got these zero-tolerance policies that required no mental activity or judgment.

I do have to point out that school board members do not elect themselves. In Texas, all are elected in open elections. Voter turnout for these elections is pathetic. I have seen margins like 1,000 to 800. Thus it is pretty easy for someone with no proven competence to be elected just by shaking hands and hanging cards on doors of homes.

I can't explain why the police or prosecutors get involved in criminalizing this kind of behavior. As I and others said above, back in the day it would have punished within the school. I don't recall any police involvement in the 12 years that I was in grade school and high school—even in one case where it seemed a student repeatedly stole expensive textbooks to sell back to the bookstore.

- Jim

[The Annoyed Man]

Spotsylvania is the location of one of the pivotal battle in the Civil War.

[Waco Kid]

Sheesh. That's just extremism. I too slung a few in my day... the white Bic Biro tube, flared on each end, spitwad in each end, and then you push one spitwad in with a stiff rod of some sort... nice compressed air 'pop' and it shoots one across the room.

Hmm, maybe I should remove this, I've posted plans for a weapon apparently...

[VMI77]

In Spotsylvania County, Virginia (middle of nowhere), a 14-year-old high-school honor student who was in JROTC was suspended for the rest of the school year for shooting plastic "spitwads" through the empty tube of a pen at other students.

He was originally given a 10-day suspension, but the school board school board jacked it up to a year because the boy used a "weapon."

He was also charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and sent to a criminal justice diversion program.

http://nation.foxnews.com/campus/2011/0 ... lls-school" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is the rural south, people. The main road of Spotsylvania is Robert E. Lee Dr.

- Jim

It comes down to the fact that no matter where you live, it's mostly liberals in control of the schools, and there is a somewhat uniform bureaucratic mentality that goes with it. We had guns in our cars in the school parking lot in high school and had no violence problems. We came to Texas from California, and in my junior high school there it wasn't even safe to use the restroom --we had locker searches, drug sniffing dogs, trash can fires, students walking around high on drugs, trash can fires, frequent fights, and pervasive bullying: in other words, it was a liberal dream school.

[jmorris]

Anybody else remember buying a pea shooter and packet of peas at the five and dime? Grew up in soybean country so didn't really need the peas.

Course, if I'd taken it to school.....

Come to think of it, I did cut one short enough to conceal in my hand. Shot peas at my friend who sat on the other side of the classroom next to a blackboard. Teacher never did figure out what then noise of the pea bouncing off the blackboard was. Guess I could have gone to jail on a felony for carrying a concealed weapon.

[chasfm11]

There has to be something more to this story.

For background, it appears that the county is midway between D.C and Richmond. It isn't anything close to a crime infested area, based on this link.
http://www.clrsearch.com/Spotsylvania_D ... Statistics

When was the last time that what appears to be a fairly minor disciplinary action ended up in front of the school board? It would appear that someone is deliberately trying to make an example of this kid, for whatever reason. Maybe it is deserved, though his desire to get into a military academy and his honor roll status would seem to dismiss that line of thinking. I cannot believe that we have come so far that Jr. High administrators are not capable of handling a discipline case without school board intervention.

[seamusTX]

There has to be something more to this story.

This is a small town and apparently a school district with a small population, about 120,000 people total.

Small towns are subject to disputes between parents—sometimes going back to their own childhoods—being visited upon the next generation. I'm not saying that's the case here, but it's possible.

This case now has been picked up by a civil-liberties organization, the Rutherford Institute.

Here's another article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 04097.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[VMI77]

There has to be something more to this story.

For background, it appears that the county is midway between D.C and Richmond. It isn't anything close to a crime infested area, based on this link.
http://www.clrsearch.com/Spotsylvania_D ... Statistics

When was the last time that what appears to be a fairly minor disciplinary action ended up in front of the school board? It would appear that someone is deliberately trying to make an example of this kid, for whatever reason. Maybe it is deserved, though his desire to get into a military academy and his honor roll status would seem to dismiss that line of thinking. I cannot believe that we have come so far that Jr. High administrators are not capable of handling a discipline case without school board intervention.

The nutty school stuff is bad enough, but there are criminal charges against the kid --and that is ridiculous. A criminal record for this with all the actual thuggery and bullying that goes on in schools unpunished?

[Keith B]

There has to be something more to this story.

This is a small town and apparently a school district with a small population, about 120,000 people total.

Small towns are subject to disputes between parents—sometimes going back to their own childhoods—being visited upon the next generation. I'm not saying that's the case here, but it's possible.

This case now has been picked up by a civil-liberties organization, the Rutherford Institute.

Here's another article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 04097.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

I really don't consider 120,000 a small town; more like a larger burb. I grew up in the largest town within a 75 mile radius and we had about 12,000 (now 17,000). It is the county seat and the whole county has a little over 41,000. Smaller towns like this and rural areas are more accepting to guns and shooting as hunting and fishing is plentiful and popular to the country kids (as well as readily accessible withing 15 minute drive into the national forest or COE Lake.)

I think the larger the town and the more the population of those who have never been exposed to guns, the more they tend to have views that are antigun. Additionally, the location of this town on the east coast and near DC will tend to see guns as a gang weapon.