Will The Insanity Ever End?

11-year-old suspended for violation of school’s ‘weapons policy’ after sharing fruit with a friend

Leon Wolf November 17, 2016 5:25 pm

Image source:WPLG/ABC 10

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As a result of the fact that an increasing number of adults in positions of authority cannot be trusted to show good judgment, an increasing number of school districts are resorting to questionable “no tolerance” policies when it comes to weapons of any sort. One 11-year-old Broward County, Florida honor roll student was the victim of just such a policy when she made the mistake of cutting a peach in half with a knife to share with her friend, and ended up getting suspended for six days.

According to her parents, Ronald and Andrea Souto, the knife she used was not any sort of knife that might conceivably be used as a weapon to do anyone harm, but rather was from a set of utensils this particular student had used since she was a toddler, complete with cartoon animal prints on the handle:

“This is a set of a spoon, fork and knife for toddlers — one year old,” Andrea Souto said. “It is made for children to learn how to eat properly. She’s used it since she was baby.”

According to the school district, the girl violated the county’s weapon policy when she used her butter knife in the cafeteria to cut the peach.

“The friend asked for half of the peach and she cuts half of the peach and gives to her friend. She goes to the bathroom and comes back and the guy said, ‘Follow me,’” Ronald Souto said.

The local ABC station report shows clearly that even the school district’s write up of the incident referred to the knife as a “butter knife” and acknowledged that the student did nothing with the knife other than to cut a peach in half.

It gets worse. The school district apparently turned the matter over to the Pembroke Pines, Florida Police Department who in turn referred the matter to the Florida State Attorney’s office, where hopefully someone with some sense will realize that there is no reason to file charges in this case.