School Overreacts To Knife Situation

The suspension of a Sandpoint High student for having a pocketknife in his locked van parallels a recent episode of “The Simpsons.”

In the show, bumbling, opinionated Homer becomes head of a neighborhood watch group, vowing to stop a notorious cat burglar who swiped his daughter’s saxophone. But Homer’s group quickly loses focus and becomes a power-tripping, vigilante mob.

Bonner County school officials certainly haven’t gone that far with their zero-tolerance policy toward weapons, alcohol and drugs. But they reacted badly to a minor problem involving a 3-inch knife.

The fiasco began when a parking lot attendant found a green leaf and a 16-year-old’s pay stub in a school trash can. School officials jumped to two wrong conclusions: The leaf was marijuana, and the boy was involved with drugs. (The leaf turned out to be fern, not cannabis.)

With the damning fern residue in hand, Homer … er, school officials asked the 16-year-old to turn his pockets inside out, searched his locker and van, and expelled him for five days after they found two knives - a miniature one on a key ring and a pocketknife in the glove box.

We’re not talking about a survivalist’s arsenal here, folks. But it was enough to give the boot to a long-haired Sandpoint kid who hangs out with other long hairs.

In December, the Spokesman-Review editorial board gave a lukewarm endorsement to a random locker search conducted by Sandpoint Middle School officials. The search occurred after they found two unloaded pistols in a 13-year-old’s locker and caught another student with marijuana.

Administrators had to do something to show parents they had control of the school grounds.

At the time, however, we cautioned that such searches should be done only if circumstances were compelling. Strong-arm tactics tend to alienate the good students who comprise the overwhelming majority.

Circumstances weren’t compelling in the Fern Leaf Caper.

The Bonner County School District has a well-deserved reputation for heavy-handedness. Two years ago, school officials seized control of a Cocolalla elementary after its principal was fired during a dispute with the School Board. Last summer, the school superintendent was sacked after he allegedly threatened several teachers by phone. Now this.

Homer Simpson might subscribe to these measures. But, then again, he’s not a very good role model.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria/For the editorial board