I think a good many of us are familiar with the innate idiocy zero-tolerance policies. To recap, zero-tolerance policies are employed by many schools, and usually say that if a student is found with any kind of weapon (or simulated weapon) whatsoever, that student is suspended and/or expelled, period. No warnings, no mitigating circumstances, gone. They are widely reviled by students and school administrators alike for their stubborness and their tendency to expell well-mannered honor students.

So Struthers Elementary near Youngstown, Ohio has one of these policies, and because of it a 6-year-old is facing expulsion. Why, you ask? Did he bring a gun to school? Did he accidentally leave a super-soaker in his backpack? No. He took a plastic butter knife out of the school cafeteria. He wanted to take it home, so he put it in his backpack. It was found, and now he is suspended, facing possible expulsion. All of this because of a zero-tolerance policy. Poor little Kevin Long, he just wanted to butter some bread.

Needless to say his parents aren't pleased. They have hired a lawyer and firmly intend to fight their son's bad rap. Oh, and the clever bit i mentioned? You'll all like this. If the Longs' son stays suspended, they plan to sue the school for supplying children with weapons.

That's the clever bit.

-David 'Klep' Kleppinger, Raving Lunatic

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