A nine-year-old boy at Tonganoxie Elementary School was found with a BB gun in his backpack on July 31. Because of the incident, Leavenworth County made a request for a hearing at the District Court. The gun was found without ammunition, and the child did not appear to be a threat.

   Regardless, the district policy still required the child to attend a disciplinary hearing due to Leavenworth’s following of a Zero Tolerance policy.

   Zero Tolerance is the concept of compelling persons in positions of authority, who might otherwise exercise their discretion in making subjective judgments regarding the severity of a given offense, to impose a pre-determined punishment regardless of an individual’s culpability or “extenuating circumstances.” USD 497 is no exception to this rule. 

   Lawrence schools have had their own share of what the district would consider threats or acts of violence.  

   In 2007-2008 there was a total of 30 incidents in which students were involved in some kind of violence against other students. This year alone, multiple fights have occurred in just the first month of school.

   On Sept. 8, paraprofessional Chrissy Leuty, was caught in between some of Lawrence High School’s recent violence.    

   “Two kids across the hall got into a verbal argument,” Leuty said. “I was getting a kid to walk out of the classroom, but then the other student threw punches at the kid leaving the classroom. I was in the middle and got hit.”

   While some at LHS agree strongly with the Zero Tolerance policy, others think that perhaps it can be taken too far. Senior Nate McFadden shares his feelings about Tolerance policy.   

  “Sometimes I think that they take Zero Tolerance too seriously,” McFadden said. “It makes sense that they want to keep students safe, but there has to be gray in between, not just black and white.”

   Security guard Vince Downing explains that anything that is used in a violent manner, even if it is not the conditional kind of weapon like a knife, is automatically classified as a dangerous object and the student is still liable of the same penalties.

  “Even a pen could be used as a weapon,” Downing said. “It could be considered as dangerous as a handgun, if the student intends to use it in a violent way.”

   The consequences of a student being caught with a dangerous object can vary from mild to extreme punishment(s).

   “The student is immediately put on a 10 day O.S.S. while investigation continues,” Assistant Principal Jan Gentry said. “Notification to district is made for a recommended long term suspension or expulsion.”

LHS security guards take care of the violent situations that erupt within school grounds, but the final punishment(s) is determined by the EDC, a district office group.

   “They decide by the student’s history, grades, and reason for their behavior,” Downing said.   

   Teacher’s roles are to follow some general guidelines and told to use their better instincts, whenever a student is found with a weapon.

   “If it’s in a classroom, teachers are suppose to call security, obtain the kid and keep them in the classroom,” Downing said. “If it’s outside in the hall, they are to keep an eye on the kid and notify security.”