Should 6-year-old be suspended for bringing utensil to school?

Can anyone in that school district use COMMON SENSE!!! This is so far off the mark and the reason why we seem to be raising a generation of IDIOTS! I attended this school in this district as a child, and I am appalled at the lack of logic with this issue. When I went to school in Newark, DE, we often carried pen knives to school, and I can even remember boys bringing their BB guns for show and tell - and, guess what. . . none of these kids committed a mass murder with either their little knives or their BB guns. What the hell is wrong with th4ese teachers and administrators - couldn't someone have just asked the boy to turn over the tool and explain that it was not something he was allowed to take into the classroom - event ended - now there is a national uproar and a 6-year old - my God, a 6- year old is facing disciplinary action that includes reform school. What is happening to this country!

While I understand parents frustration, the reality is we live in a dangerous world. Before Columbine school was a different place. Children are their parent's responsibility and if they knew there was a zero tolerance policy then he should not have been sent to school with a camping tool-period.

He is an intelligent young man. I'm sure the school has gone over what is unacceptable to bring to school! Just because he wears 'a suit and tie' doesn't give him entitlements all other students abide by. Even those that come in jeans and a t-shirt. What will he 'expect' from now and on his route to being an adult!

I agree pencils, pens, hands feet can be just as deadly as knives. Knives should not be brought to school, but to expel them for a year or send them to reform school is too harsh. It is not teaching the good kids a lesson, it is teaching them resentment. Go on the zero tolerance websites and see how it has destroyed good kids lives.

I am disgusted that this topic has gotten nationwide media coverage. This child should be suspended!! He bought a device to school that yes, can be considered as a weapon and he shouldn't have. For all we know, he intended to bring the weapon to school to harm another child. The school did the right thing by protecting the other children. He was wrong, period and this serves as a valuable lesson to both the boy and his parents. They should except the consequences and move on. If the child had been black, there would have never been an issue. He would have been labeled a juvenile delinquent who was beginning a life of crime. People should stop making excuses for this child's actions. This time it was a knife, but next time it could be a gun.

A Swiss Army knife is a wonderful implement, but it does have a knife blade in it, which technically makes it a "knife". The boy brought a tool to school, not a switchblade or lockblade knife, and a weeks suspension and a stern warning (like expulsion next time) is more than adequate for a 6 year old.

In response to a previous comment, both my daughters were girl scouts, and both carried and used an "official" girl scout pocketknife on their girl scout outings (but not in school!).

razz idk when you went to school but no more metal forks and no more paper cutter lol this isnt the 1970's and its much hard to kill someone with a pencil even its sharp because of the brittleness of the lead or graphite.

To Lotobank #138 -> You're not allowed to reproduce........are you???? God help the rest of us if you are!

He is a Tiger Scout. First year. My son is a Tiger Scout, first year. I have a few questions first. Has he earned the right to carry that camping knife? My boys have to earn it first and that usually does not happen in the first year. It's a priveledge to carry the camping knife. Second, regardless of whether or not it has eating utensils, it also has a knife on it. There is no tolerance, period. That a first grader had ready access to a knife, is the discretion of the parents. However, I can not believe it was not made clear to the boy, before going to school, that his utensil/knife was not to leave the home. Whether he asked first or not, it seems to me that responsibility for this should fall on the parents, not the child. Send him back to class, but maybe they need the lecture.

45 Days?? Are these people crazy. Paris Hilton spent less time in jail. Please school administrators start using commong sense judgment. You ask students every day to think through problems and obviously you missed it here. This Six year old boy clearly has a great track record, admitted he made an error in judgment but had no intention to stab a person with his BOY SCOUT Approved utensil. Clearly they think he is responsible with it. Maybe we should punish the boy scouts too.

He learned a valuable lesson over all the media hype and throug his parents. But to punish a boy for 45 days that deserves at the most one day and at least just a stern lecture is riduclous people.

For the Principal and/or teachers involved, you are really something else. Have you ever used your brains for anything other that a hat rack? A 6 year old boy and you idiots want him sent to reform school? How stupidity shows in people lacking in common sense. Did anyone even talk to the little boy about whether or not he knew about the rules? I bet NOT. This the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I guess you people are afraid of a 6 year old. Did anyone call the parents and ask them if they even had talked to the little boy about the rules covering the scout knife? Again I bet NOT. For all we know the parents probably did not even know the rules of this nature. Let the boy know that he cannot carry his scout knife to school and don't forget to tell him he cant bring an assault rifle either. Get your heads straightened out even if you have to go to a shrink. By the way pay for that yourselves. People pay enough taxes now anyway. As far as the school board goes, I think that they should all be replaced when election time comes again with people who have some good common sense.

If that little boy goes to reform school for 45 days then I hope the parents sue the school board for the mental duress that the boy is going to suffer and theirs also.

Look at the school administrators. Consider the racial context in which their absolutist,stereotypically doo-mass, bureaucratic,thought and discretion-free,gubbamint doggie,affirmative action hire BS stinks up the place.

The only role model the goofs that run that district have is a "mass punishment for all due to the misbehavior of a few" characteristic of the Feds,their only friends. To wit: Banning of DDT,Chlordane,toilet flush mechanisms that actually did the job,"assault weapons" etc.

The kid's obvious intelligence and maturity beyond his years is WASTED in that public school. When affirmative action hire teachers and administrators are combined with a gynocentric anti-male,frustrated prison guard frame of alleged "mind" NOTHING good can come of it.

That child should be OUT of that school and either home schooled or enrolled in a Catholic or other private school where he could flourish rather than be abused by fascistic Prison Screws.

THINK PEOPLE. It's not about race. If more of of one race is breaking the laws/rules then of course those are going to be disciplined more then others. Stop playing the race card and put it to rest. It's a good thing this boy has a good head on his shoulders or this could very well damage him for a very long time. Americans are losing their common sense. On one hand protect the child but then punish a baby for a rule he had no idea he broke. NO child should have to go though this. NO child regardless of race colour or religion! Wake up adult America you make me sick!

Hey, I consider myself middle of the road, and I have to say this action is more consistent with neo-conservatism. Liberals are more inclined to weigh the matter before suspending a six year old and sending him to reform school, and I think they would come down on the side of common sense and mercy.

This little guy most likely wanted to show his newly won treasure to his classmates, The school authorities should have called his parent and let them take it from there.

We have as government officials passing zero tolerance laws mental retards...they should all be voted out of offica asap and elect people with brains in their heads instead of in a dark place.

Ludicrous!

Perhaps the larger and potentially more serious problem that the John R. Downes Elementary School administration should address is the teacher exhibited a woefully improper use of the English language when he or she asked the student "Can I have that?" instead of "May I have that (knife)?"

Is it any wonder education is in the state it is in?

Back to basics!

The boy is 6 years old! Why couldn't the "mature" adult teacher and principal explain to the child why the "weapon" was not allowed in the school and THEN call the parent, who should come and retrieve the "weapon". Perhaps if they had shown some common sense (which they obviously lack), not only to the child, but to the parent AND to the other students, this wouldn't have made NATIONAL NEWS!!! This is totally out of control and disgusting - these people need to focus on the real problems, which are probably going on right under their noses but they are too busy focusing on a 6 year old's "weapon" that he was going to use for lunch. And to think that our taxes pay for these people's salaries! I'm protesting my tax bill.

The kid is a scout. He knows the item has a fork and he knows it has a spoon and he knows it has a knife and he knows knifes are not allowed at school. Those rules are explained to kids on the first day of school. Maybe he meant no harm but after he dropped the item, what happened if some kid picked it up who did mean harm and he stabbed someone? I'll bet the scoutmasters stress to kids not to bring such items to school. The rules are in place for a reason and they need to be followed even by the cute polite kids in ties. This isn't Opey Taylor and we are not in Mayberry. Suspend the kid.

omg i have never in my life seen anything like this. i am studying to be a public school teacher and you people make me sick...

No exception should be made. He needs to suffer the consequences. In alot of schools students are required to sign agreements regarding behavior, etc. and I wonder if it was done in that district. Also, as there is a zero-tolerance policy, I am sure it would have been communicated to the parents, the boy, or both. Finally, it doesn't matter that the boy is 6 or that he's white, he can still commit a crime with a weapon. Also, who knows if he really brougt it for the reason he said. He may have wanted to show it to someone, that's what kids do. And, that is still not an acceptable answer.