Post by King Ghidorah on Sept 18, 2013 20:38:15 GMT -5
www.opposingviews.com/i/society/16-year-old-suspended-handing-over-knife-he-accidentally-brought-school
Sometimes honesty is the best policy, but for a Pittsburgh high school student, keeping quiet might have been the right move.
David Schaffner III was getting ready to watch his Fox Chapel Hill Area High School’s football team play when he realized he was about to bring a pocketknife into the stands. Earlier he had been hanging out in the woods behind his house cutting branches and sticks, and forgot to take the knife out of his pocket before he went to the game. There was no metal detector, bag check or security inspection necessary to enter the game, but Schaffner knew his school’s rules, which prohibit having knives on campus, and handed the knife to a security guard.
He even voluntarily wrote and signed a statement, which said in part: “I was in the woods behind my house at my tree stand and forgot to take my knife out of my pocket … came to the game and gave it to the security guard.”
However, a Fox Chapel principal found out about what happened, kicked Schaffner out, gave him a 10-day suspension, and according to the family’s attorney, Schaffner faces possible expulsion later this month.
“It’s out of line and unnecessary,” Phil DiLucente, the family’s attorney, said to CBS Pittsburgh. “It’s utterly ridiculous. I mean, what are we teaching our youth today? To not be honest, to not be open and forthcoming? We are hopeful there will be reconsideration on this particular matter and he [will] be immediately back in school.”
Schaffner’s dad, David Jr., said the punishment sends a horrible message.
“To me it sends a message, you should probably lie, ‘cause you’re going to get punished,” he said.
Sometimes honesty is the best policy, but for a Pittsburgh high school student, keeping quiet might have been the right move.
David Schaffner III was getting ready to watch his Fox Chapel Hill Area High School’s football team play when he realized he was about to bring a pocketknife into the stands. Earlier he had been hanging out in the woods behind his house cutting branches and sticks, and forgot to take the knife out of his pocket before he went to the game. There was no metal detector, bag check or security inspection necessary to enter the game, but Schaffner knew his school’s rules, which prohibit having knives on campus, and handed the knife to a security guard.
He even voluntarily wrote and signed a statement, which said in part: “I was in the woods behind my house at my tree stand and forgot to take my knife out of my pocket … came to the game and gave it to the security guard.”
However, a Fox Chapel principal found out about what happened, kicked Schaffner out, gave him a 10-day suspension, and according to the family’s attorney, Schaffner faces possible expulsion later this month.
“It’s out of line and unnecessary,” Phil DiLucente, the family’s attorney, said to CBS Pittsburgh. “It’s utterly ridiculous. I mean, what are we teaching our youth today? To not be honest, to not be open and forthcoming? We are hopeful there will be reconsideration on this particular matter and he [will] be immediately back in school.”
Schaffner’s dad, David Jr., said the punishment sends a horrible message.
“To me it sends a message, you should probably lie, ‘cause you’re going to get punished,” he said.
