How can anyone expect kids to have common sense when the adults in authority around them seem to lack it?
Ashley Smithwick, 17, of Sanford, was suspended from Southern Lee High School in October after school personnel found a small paring knife in her lunchbox.
The lunchbox really belonged to Joe Smithwick, who packs a paring knife to slice his apple. He and his daughter have matching lunchboxes. “It’s just an honest mistake. That was supposed to be my lunch because it was a whole apple,” he said.
A misunderstanding should have been acknowledged and that’s the end of that.
But noooooo…
The teen was initially given a 10-day suspension, then received notice that she was suspended the rest of the school year.
This month, Ashley Smithwick, a soccer player who takes college-level courses, was charged with misdemeanor possession of a weapon on school grounds. She is no longer allowed to set foot on campus.
Sounds like an administrator-type who doesn’t want to look like she overreacted so she’ll sacrifice the academic future of a student and save face.
“How can anyone expect kids to have common sense when the adults in authority around them seem to lack it?”
And not *simply* lack, but actively refuse to acquire.
Sounds to me like the parents have a valid lawsuit on their hands. If they do sue, I hope they also specify, as defendants in the suit, the person or persons involved in the suspension decision.
Another reason I homeschool. The so called adults in schools act out worse than the children or the parents of the children.
“Sounds like an administrator-type who doesn’t want to look like she overreacted so she’ll sacrifice the academic future of a student and save face”
that’s just not right. period
Does this mean other utensils are also proscribed?
Wow, totally insane. If there was ever a reason to sue, then this would be it. That, or the government should return all funds confiscated from the relevant taxpayers (e.g., her parents), since the public school does not intend to fulfill its part of the contract.
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that terrorists are treated better than American citizens? I thought the insanity would be mostly limited to the airports… I was so naive.
Once again, the innocent is being punished while the thugs in schools who have knives and the school does nothing about them.
Have a heart, Ecotim. Try to look at it from the perspective of the authorities — the innocent or law-abiding are easier to punish than the thugs are.
Ilion:
Exactly. As we grow progressively vulnerable and dependent, their power and wealth increases. Instead of disarming the criminals, which they cannot do, they choose to disarm the law-abiding citizens; thereby rendering us in need of their security services.
The only reason this house has not yet collapsed, is because most of America’s wealth remains in the possession of private individuals, and, in particular, in the hands of the middle class, which comprises the majority of Americans.
I can’t help but remember the communist revolutions. However, it is the Constitution, and the large middle class, which render such analogies false. We must be forever vigilant that our laws and rights are not subverted, beginning with seemingly insignificant infractions as has been revealed in this story. There is still an opportunity to restore what has been progressively lost, without another revolution, which may not even be possible in an increasingly decadent population.
Just wait for the Executive Order placing the TSA in charge of all school security.
GoodMojo:
Government mandated strip searches in our schools? Just what are the statistics for students going terrorist?
Obviously no one does their research. As a senior in Lee County and knowing Smithwick growing up, I would love to inform the world that this little “angel” is noting of the sort; she could argumentatively be one of the biggest trouble makers of our senior class. Please take a look at her facebook, anything…. and you can see right off the bat that she is not a good person. When the principals searched her purse, hate to burst your bubbles, a knife wasn’t all they found. I wish her parents would stop hiding the other “enclosed information” and then everyone would know how much she really deserves her punishment. If they have nothing to hide and this was just a “honest mistake” then release the information. In the long run, when the truth does come out, she’ll be the one everyone is laughing at.
Well Brit,
Why don’t you enlighten us?