Travesties and Zero Tolerance Policies - NC members in particular should take notice!

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MLeake

New member
http://www.wral.com/classmates-rally-around-princeton-student-expelled-for-gun-in-car/12401713/

A North Carolina student realized he had forgotten an unloaded shotgun in the trunk of his car after shooting skeet, so he went to the admin offices to ask permission to go home and put it up.

For trying to do the right thing (though the authorities maintain it was for breaking state law, even if inadvertently) he has been expelled from high school, and is being charged with a felony.

Zero Tolerance.... but wait!! That same school (and, theoretically, prosecutor's office) only gave a three day, unpaid suspension to an administrator who had a loaded handgun in his car...

NC members, you may want to talk with your legislators.
 
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Brian Pfleuger

Moderator Emeritus
MLeake said:
Zero Tolerance.... but wait!! That same school (and, theoretically, prosecutor's office) only gave a three day, unpaid suspension to an administrator who had a loaded handgun in his car...
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Zero Tolerance is the school districts admission that it believes it's staff is incapable of common sense, IMO.

Sometimes, my skeptical side sees these things happen and has to wonder if the kid's family doesn't have an agreement with someone in the administration to share the money they win in the lawsuit. I just can't think of any logical justification for some of this nonsense.
 
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JWT

New member
These no tolerance laws seem mostly designed to relieve the school administration from having to make decisions. In this case any common sense approach certainly would not dictate this severe punishment, if any.
 
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zippyfusenet

New member
Maybe the Governor can pardon the kid.

In my opinion, zero-tolerence laws are to reassure bed-wetters that Something Is Being Done!

I'm getting tired of bed-wetters, but their vote counts the same as mine. Just apply the laws, folks.
 
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Al Norris

Moderator Emeritus
If what I read is true about NC law, then I see a lawsuit over the disparity of treating a child as a felon and an adult as a misdemeanent. There can be no rational reason to treat a child harsher than the adult. If anything, the reverse would be a rational law.
 
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TLeo

New member
It's bad enough that these stupid zero tolerance policies exist and the school officials don't have any common sense anymore, but I hope the DA in Johnston county sees this for the nonsense it is and drops the charges. As for the officer who charged him, he is an idiot as well. I'm retired LEO with over 30 yrs and the one thing officer's always have is discretion as to making charges or not. Unless his dept has some standing policy/order that directly prohibits any leeway in this case, he had the discretion to charge or not to charge and should have seen how harmless this incident was and told the principle to go stuff it.
I am so glad I have no school age kids these days. I would absolutely refuse to send my kids to these public indoctrination camps they call schools these days and work as many jobs as it took to send them to a private school.
 
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SPEMack618

New member
I find it encouraging to note that the kid in question appears to be recieving a lot of support on social media from both his friend and other kids in school.

The FreeCole hashtag was trending earlier.

I find that encouraging because I, in a bit more cynical moment, saw this being spun as an Eagle Scout gun nut brings gun to school when I first read the story.
 
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JimDandy

New member
If what I read is true about NC law, then I see a lawsuit over the disparity of treating a child as a felon and an adult as a misdemeanent.
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Since I don't pay NC taxes, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if NC sent the kid on a four year all expenses trip to college.

ETA: Which as I read that makes me realize I would be a VERY bad juror in that case, but also likely a common one.
 
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lcpiper

New member
I saw where a local Christian college has already offered the kid enrollment into their private high school system so he can finish high school and a scholarship to attend their college.
 
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manta49

New member
Sounds a bit strict. There are no gun free areas here that i am aware of. But there are places that common sense would tell you not to take a firearm. After recent events school being top of the list. If someone is carrying a firearm here for personal protection then there are no gun free zones it can be taken anywhere. In hindsight he should have taken the firearm home when he discovered it. If it was a gun free zone then technically he was guilty but you would of hope common sense would prevail.
 
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JimDandy

New member
He was stuck. Had he left the school property he would have been stopped- something with how they work their campus- it may be a closed campus, once you're there, you're there.
 
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manta49

New member
He was stuck. Had he left the school property he would have been stopped- something with how they work their campus- it may be a closed campus, once you're there, you're there.
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OK there is no security on schools or universities here students can enter and leave the campus when they want.
 
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JimDandy

New member
It depends on the school here. Some are open campus, and kids can leave if they want... I had one like that, and we often hiked a couple blocks to the 7-11 for lunch for example.
 
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wingman

New member
Sadly our public school system has failed many good teachers but the system is corrupt with liberal thinking. In this case he may come out the winner with a
good scholarship and use what he learns to change the system.
 
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MLeake

New member
Manta49, when I attended high school, parking lots were similarly controlled. It wasn't for fear of guns, though, it was to make it more difficult for drug dealers to try to access the campus to sell to minors.

Still, Withrow could have just waited out the day, figuring that the odds were nobody would ever know he'd had the gun in his truck. Instead, he tried to remove it from campus... The lesson the system wants to teach is "Don't bring guns, ever, under any circumstances." The lesson the system is teaching is "Keep your mouth shut, under any circumstances."
 
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SPEMack618

New member
I would be afraid to leave it my truck because, per the parking agreement every student had to sign, vehicles were subject to search at my school.

Granted this was in effort to combat drug use, but I could see where the kid would be afraid of leaving his gun in his truck.
 
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