Pocket Knives in School?

[XCastleX]

deer hunter nailed it. if you dont cooperate then your screwed.

at all of the schools i went to, they said that anything you brought onto school property became the schools property. example: they didnt need consent to search your locker or even your back pack if they wanted to.

 

[KevinAbbeyTech]

I don't think you are screwed if they withhold a diploma, drop out and study for your GED, it's the same thing.

They never see you again, and you don't need them to be successful.

My $0.02.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I agree, I have my GED and earn more than 2 teachers. Have a VERY nice home, a beautiful family, and happiness.

 

[metallic]

Still ticks me off whenever i think about it, i worked 4 years to be the model student and all the sudden they suspend me for having a knife on a SATURDAY morning? sigh........

I know it doesn't make things any better, but in the grand scheme of things high school doesn't really matter. Once you're done with college, high school becomes completely irrelevant.

 

[Smith]

Smith, you make the faulty assumption that high school students have the same rights as normal human beings.

In my school, if you told them "no, I do not consent to a search," You are still majorly screwed. The school pretty much did all in its power, even threatening to withold diplomas, if you did not comply.

I didn't really think that through. I suppose that if a student refused a search, the school could choose to expel him anyway for failing to comply with the school's demands.

 

[ScottG1911]

I carried a knife everyday for general purposes. I think i only ever used it at school one time. but all my years I carried it, never thought much of it. I was class of 2008 so I guess i dodged a big bullet. just wasnt a big deal to me.

 

[gallowglas]

Searching students in school can be tricky.

I teach and had to take a law class.

Lockers can be searched anytime, they are school property.
Teachers have more authority to search students than police, as we are "in place of parents." Though generally any teacher with common sense will use the campus police and due process, it prevents lawsuits later. Probable cause is needed to search backpacks. and kids are quick, I've seen contraband slipped from one student to the next and you can't search an entire class. They'll bump into a buddy and slip it to him.

In the eagle scout's case, school authorities already saw the knife, if that is in violation of policy or state law they need not necessarily have permission. Usually though when you get your parking permit you sign blanket permission to let them search the vehicle.

My advice to my children was "never give permission, even if you have nothing to hide. Never argue, "you want to search my backpack, here it is I won't stop you but you do not have my permission." And we will deal with it later.

 

[ssjones]

"My advice to my children was "never give permission, even if you have nothing to hide. Never argue, "you want to search my backpack, here it is I won't stop you but you do not have my permission." And we will deal with it later."

I'm no lawyer but can think of a scenario where this could backfire and make someone look guilty. Say another kid in class doesn't like your kid, they slip some contrband into their backpack unknown to them, than blow the whistle. Your kid doesn't give permission for a search, contraband is found. Does your kid now look like they are guilty and were trying to hide it? Or if permission is given, contraband is found, can they say "why would I give permission if I knew that item was in my backpack?"

Damn, it's got to be tough to be a kid today! I may be way off base here, as we just finished watching Season 4 of "The Wire". Those kids were into some tough situations. I'm glad my kids went to school in rural Western MD....

 

[KevinAbbeyTech]

Sigh, I miss simpler times.

 

[pmeisel]

I had a long conversation about this one day with a school principal, long time friend that I grew up with.

Bottom line, they are forced by rules and circumstances to be bureaucrats, enforcing policies, not using personal judgment.

Which is sad, and why so many good people choose other professions. I once wanted to be a teacher and remember clearly why I abandoned that pursuit -- observation of the actual circumstances.

 

[gun addict]

and sometime i wonders what if i were'nt so honest that day and said "nope, i never had a knife" or "that was my dad's knife i was borrowing", guess honesty dosn't pay all the time now does it? :banghead:

funny though, the teacher that kicked me off hated me. She was fired from the school last year for having sexual relationships with some students on almost the exactly one year after the day i was suspended

needless to say i felt a bit of guilty pleasure

 

[hso]

Too much drift outside of our scope here in NFW for this one to continue.

Some of us carried knives in school "in the day".

Some carry them today. Some with the acceptance of the school and some without.

For those who don't have the acceptance of the school for carrying a mere tool, there are potential consequences.