Connection: District 81 Rules Strictly Enforced

Since the Columbine massacre, Spokane-area school officials say their pre-existing “zero tolerance” safety policies are being strictly enforced.

But they assert that heightened safety awareness doesn’t mean students’ rights are being violated.

“If we have any indication there is a problem, we are going to scrutinize it far more than we probably would have pre-Columbine,” said Mary Brown, Spokane School District 81’s student services supervisor.

Although each incident is considered on a case-by-case basis, state law and school policy are clear, she said.

“If they bring a firearm or weapon to school, they are going to be gone,” she said.

And whether a student is suspended or expelled depends on the weapon and circumstances. But when a gun is involved, expulsion is immediate.

An 18-year-old Spokane student attending Havermale Alternative Center was expelled in January after a school official found a loaded gun in his jacket. The jacket was found in the school’s gymnasium following a basketball game.

It was the first gun-related incident on District 81 grounds in over a year and a half.

Gary Ferney, associate superintendent of the Mead School District, said that when students are suspended or expelled, there is a very deliberate and careful review process.

“Parents and students are afforded every opportunity to appeal and give their side of the story,” Ferney said.