Teacher Suspended for Displaying Garden-Variety Tools in Classroom

[cz27jim]

Maybe one of the tools was shaped like a PopTart.

 

[KL1]

So, I was stunned by this initially, too. But there's a link in the article to the actual lawsuit that he has filed, and in the part that sums up the circumstances, it makes it clear that one of the "tools" he displayed was a pocket knife, and he was suspended for the pocket knife, not the tools. I'm still no big fan of zero tolerance policies, but it would seem reality in this case is not quite as absurd as this article makes it sound.
https://www.rutherford.org/files_images/general/04-22-2013_Bartlett-Complaint.pdf

 

[rseymorejr]

So, I was stunned by this initially, too. But there's a link in the article to the actual lawsuit that he has filed, and in the part that sums up the circumstances, it makes it clear that one of the "tools" he displayed was a pocket knife, and he was suspended for the pocket knife, not the tools. I'm still no big fan of zero tolerance policies, but it would seem reality in this case is not quite as absurd as this article makes it sound.
https://www.rutherford.org/files_images/general/04-22-2013_Bartlett-Complaint.pdf

Oh, it was a pocket knife. Maybe they should have called the swat team

 

[Inigoes]

So, I was stunned by this initially, too. But there's a link in the article to the actual lawsuit that he has filed, and in the part that sums up the circumstances, it makes it clear that one of the "tools" he displayed was a pocket knife, and he was suspended for the pocket knife, not the tools. I'm still no big fan of zero tolerance policies, but it would seem reality in this case is not quite as absurd as this article makes it sound.
https://www.rutherford.org/files_images/general/04-22-2013_Bartlett-Complaint.pdf

A pocket knife rationalization makes it no less absurd.

 

[Traveler]

Well, this makes perfect sense since FBI stats show that hammers are more dangerous than guns!

Somebody is dumber than a box of hammers.

 

[Traveler]

So, I was stunned by this initially, too. But there's a link in the article to the actual lawsuit that he has filed, and in the part that sums up the circumstances, it makes it clear that one of the "tools" he displayed was a pocket knife, and he was suspended for the pocket knife, not the tools. I'm still no big fan of zero tolerance policies, but it would seem reality in this case is not quite as absurd as this article makes it sound.
https://www.rutherford.org/files_images/general/04-22-2013_Bartlett-Complaint.pdf

Did the knife have a high capacity clip and a thing that goes up?

 

[Boom Boom]

Did the knife have a high capacity clip and a thing that goes up?

It has a bottle opener goes up. The bottle opener is what put it over the top and got him suspended. He's lucky it didn't have a cork remover. Dude would have been SWAT'd for that.

 

[webb297]

If the school has a no knife policy, and you knowingly bring a knife in, you have violated the policy and there should be consequences. Now a debate on weather or not a pocket knife should be on a banned list, is another question all together. I believe, in this society today, it should be banned in a juvenile educational environment, because if we do not allow the children to bring them, then neither should the teacher. If it were just gardening tools, that would be ridiculous.

 

[Traveler]

It has a bottle opener goes up. The bottle opener is what put it over the top and got him suspended.

Well then, Bloomberg will lobby for the guy to go to Gitmo. He sticks his nose in everything else.

 

[browning guy]

How sad these days are. This country has no spine.

 

[eruby]

Maybe one of the tools was shaped like a PopTart.

 

[Mr H]

Oh, it was a pocket knife. Maybe they should have called the swat team

Don't get me started on the pocketknife thing!

I go to great lengths to train mine not to jump out of my pocket and start slashing randomly!!

 

[rotag]

This isn't just Stupid, it's........advanced stupid!

 

[Brickerenator]

If the school has a no knife policy, and you knowingly bring a knife in, you have violated the policy and there should be consequences. Now a debate on weather or not a pocket knife should be on a banned list, is another question all together. I believe, in this society today, it should be banned in a juvenile educational environment, because if we do not allow the children to bring them, then neither should the teacher. If it were just gardening tools, that would be ridiculous.

Unfortunately, I agree.

This is why most HR textbooks don't advise the use of zero-tolerance policies. Why? You MUST enforce them in EVERY instance, regardless of other factors. If they didn't suspend this teacher, and suspended a different teacher for bringing a pocket knife on campus, they open themselves to a discrimination lawsuit.

It's sad, but it's true.

 

[Right2Carry]

If the school has a no knife policy, and you knowingly bring a knife in, you have violated the policy and there should be consequences. Now a debate on weather or not a pocket knife should be on a banned list, is another question all together. I believe, in this society today, it should be banned in a juvenile educational environment, because if we do not allow the children to bring them, then neither should the teacher. If it were just gardening tools, that would be ridiculous.

A policy is no different than a law. It only provides guidance and judgment.

 

[yellowsled]

How stupid

 

[randian]

zero tolerance = zero intelligence

 

[dist1646]

Just imagine what they would have done to my middle school shop teacher who used to handload in class.

 

[DanGuy48]

Idiots.

I hope they have taken measures to eliminate all knives, forks and of course the ever-so-deadly spoon, from the cafeteria. We were born with fingers, kids just need to feed themselves that way again.

 

[wreckdiver]

WTF is out world coming to? I brought my dad's 1861 musket to school in 8th grade for a social studies report. The funny thing is the teacher said I could bring it in if I took the firing pin out. I tried explaining that there was no "firing pin" on an 1861 Springfield musket, but it was useless.