www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/111-01112005-430376.html

Third-grader suspended for pocketknife
By HILARY BENTMAN
Bucks County Courier Times


A third-grader at Haycock Elementary has been suspended for bringing a pocketknife to school.

The 8-year-old girl brought the 11/2-inch Swiss Army Knife to the Old Bethlehem Road school on Tuesday, state police said.

Another student spotted the pocketknife in the girl's backpack, Quakertown Superintendent Jim Scanlon said.

The student was suspended and not expelled because school officials said she had no intention to use the knife. The knife was not displayed to anyone and no one was threatened or injured, Scanlon said.

He would not say how long the suspension would last.

"There are a lot of kids that are hunters," he said. "It's pretty common in our community (to have a pocketknife)."

Under state law, school districts are obligated to report to police incidents of weapons possessions in school. A follow-up investigation is pending by state police in this case.

Students may be expelled for a year for having a weapon on school grounds. District officials, however, can review each case individually and a superintendent can recommend other disciplinary action.



"Five years ago, we would have given the knife back," Scanlon said, but since the Columbine incident in 1999, rules are stricter.

Expulsion was the route officials took in the Upper Moreland School District, when last month, Chris McCarthy, a 16-year-old student at the high school was expelled for bringing a fishing knife to school in November. He will be permitted to return to the school in his senior year.

The Honor Society student and junior class president said he accidentally brought the knife to school but did not want to toss it because it was a gift from his brother

How do they "notice" it in her backpack? Did they search it?

Just part of the whole brainwashing experience.

"Remember kids, "weapons" are bad no matter who has them."

Its a good thing they got that assault knife away from her as quick as they did.  It might've jumped out and stabbed someone!

Im not even going to count how many times ive taken my pocket knife to school......
+1 on how did they 'notice' it

Quoted: Im not even going to count how many times ive taken my pocket knife to school...... +1 on how did they 'notice' it

They noticed it through the other half of the brainwashing scheme.  By teaching kids to be snoops and narc on their peers to the authorities.

I had my Spyderco clipped to my pocket last week...while serving on JURY DUTY! That was an honest "oops".

Quoted: I had my Spyderco clipped to my pocket last week...while serving on JURY DUTY! That was an honest "oops".

that never would have made it through the metal detectors of my small town courthouse.

I don't see how they can do that.  A knife is not a weapon unless used as one.  No differant than a pencil.  Do they kick you out of school now days for pencils or staplers too?

Gee, sounds like a real criminal to me. I say we string the kid up at sunrise.

Should have skipped all this "suspension" nonsense and just shot her dog.

If I did some of the things I did as a teenager today, I'd still be doing time.