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Fifth Grader Faces Expulsion For Bringing Marijuana To School To Keep Dad From Smoking It

Fifth Grader Marijuana School

The Huffington Post     First Posted: 02/27/13 EST Updated: 02/27/13 EST

Though his intentions may have been innocent, a Virginia fifth grader who brought marijuana to school could face expulsion for his actions, according to media reports.

Local police officers responded to a report of a student in possession of marijuana Tuesday. According to Suffolk police, the Driver Elementary student showed his teacher the drug and said he took it from his father so that he would stop smoking.

Visit WTKR to watch the video report.

In an email to the Suffolk News-Herald, city spokeswoman Diana Klink said: "When asked about the marijuana in the presence of the student's mother, he advised the officer that he found it in his father's truck and brought it to school to show his teacher because he wanted his father to stop smoking marijuana."

However, under Suffolk Public Schools' student code of conduct and school board policy, students are restricted from having marijuana in their possession on school grounds, regardless of the reason. Though the school is entitled to impose its own disciplinary actions, the principal is also required to report any conduct involving marijuana to local law enforcement, as required under the Code of Virginia.

"Policy is policy, but I do think they need to check into the situation more," Jonathan Lewis, a former teacher, told WTKR.

While the student has since been suspended, NBC affiliate WAVY reports that district spokeswoman Bethanne Bradshaw confirmed the student has been recommended for expulsion. The hearing is expected to be scheduled within the next 10 days.

 
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01:01 AM on 03/05/2013
What have we learned children? Don't trust adults. Don't think that schools are a safe haven for you. Don't think that teachers are there to help you. If you see a crime, don't report it. Don't tell them if someone is molesting you because they will blame you. Don't try to turn in a gun that was laying in the gym because if you knew about it, you must be guilty.

What else have we learned? Government school employees are too stupid to think for themselves and too afraid to do the right thing. They use "no tolerance" rules so they don't have to make decisions or accept the blame for making an unpopular decision.
04:24 PM on 03/04/2013
I am so tired of children trying to do the right thing, and getting punished for it. This divisiveness has now hit home. Parents teach their children well, however, the socialistic schools teach different. How confusing is this for the child. mommy says..... but mommy the teacher says thiss....... time to start home schooling our children so that the parents values are taught and re-in-forced, not ridiculed or destroyed. I feel very sorry for the children of today; They are not going to know who to believe. sad sad sad
02:51 PM on 03/04/2013
Dumb as kid! I hope he learned a Big lesson.
01:57 PM on 03/04/2013
A child gets in trouble for doing the "right thing". Well, that's one way to ensure the kid turns around and runs hell-bent the other direction! Check back in about 10 years and see where he is. Put this one up there with the little kid who's getting expelled for supposedly shaping his pop-tart into a "gun" (he said he was making a "mountain"). I'm a teacher, BTW, and I think it's asinine!
01:08 PM on 03/04/2013
The kid brought something bad in, and asked a teacher for help. Now he is punished. This is why children end up with issues with authority. The child has a poor role model in his father and he tried to trust a teacher to help him.

Think about this... what if a child witnessed another student threatening someone with a knife on recess.. if he takes the knife from the kid and goes to turn it in, does he get expelled for being 'in possession'?

What is this world coming to?
06:00 PM on 03/02/2013
how phony is this site, they censor, i mean approve of comments. what happened to being a conservative patriot and freedom of expression.
05:58 PM on 03/02/2013
i bet my comment doesnt get approved because its true and this is a right wing website
11:30 AM on 03/02/2013
if the student brought it in AND SHOWED THE TEACHER UP FRONT AND GAVE THE REASON

THEN THE CHILD IS NOT THE VICTIM OF THE LEFTISTS ZERO TOLERANCE MOVEMENT
11:32 PM on 02/28/2013
Political Correctness instead of COMMON SENSE. THIS IS EFFING RIDICULOUS.
09:47 AM on 03/01/2013
Agreed! The ever increasing number amongst the herd who lack the logic to handle -- or much less: even recognize -- a 'no-brainer' scares the s**t out of me. Add to that - these are the individuals shaping the young minds of our future!? God HELP Us!
06:07 PM on 03/01/2013
To bad the son was brainwashed into ratting out his dad....
02:02 PM on 03/04/2013
No kidding...he was not "possessing" the pot, he was turning it in to the people in his life whom he trusts as authorities! Isn't that what we are supposed to be teaching our kids, to tell someone when something dangerous is happening? To be safe and to care about our family? This just ruined the child's trust of any authority for the rest of his life.
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Statism is a pathological mental illness.
10:40 AM on 03/04/2013
Zero Tolernace == Zero Intelligence