I, respectfully, disagree. I wouldn't want knives at my kid's school either. Someone might use that as license to stab someone. Weirder things have happened.

I understand your point also, but to suspend a child for 7 days? I find that a bit cruel. They could at least just confiscate it and give them a lecture about it instead, give the person a chance to say why they had one in the first place.

You are right, this case is rather innocent. It's just places like where i grew up, that make these schools react as strongly as they do.

I know a guy that said back in the 70s at his school during hinting season they were allowed to bring their shotguns to school as long as they turned them in and he never said anything about someone being shot.

72-- after Columbine many school districts enacted zero tolerance policies regarding violence, weapons, and drugs in schools. These policies can be illogical and sometimes deny students basic due process, but they do require mandatory punishments for certain offenses. There was a case several years ago in Arizona of a girl being suspended (or expelled-- I can't quite remember) for bringing Advil to school and 'distributing' it. Unfortunately, schools are under so much pressure to keep students safe that common sense often gets left behind.

I can understand the Advil thing, depending on the age of the child. I wouldn't want any drugs given to my (young) children without my consent, unless its done by a school medical personnel. I'm surprised that the mother didn't just call the school to let them know what happened. She doesn't have to admit wrong-doing, just own up so the kid doesn't get long term suspension, or maybe just ISS. Also, I was on the rifle team in highschool and we were able to bring our rifles to school. When I visited other schools in the city and mentioned this, they though we were crazy.

A kid in my school stole a craft knife from the art department and then threatened someone with it. He got expelled. If they had just let him off with a warning something worse could have happened.

Ya but he threatened someone with it which showed intent. This kid was innocent. I know why the school did it, but no tolerance policies are stupid.

Suspending someone for possessing a knife delivers meaning to he term thought police. It impugns criminal intent and punishes for it when in fact there was none. Policies like this are training our youth to adapt to the systematic elimination of freedoms they should enjoy. We wrap all our kids up into one category based on the actions of a few crazy ones. I don't like it one bit, and it's a big part of the reason I've taken my kids out of public schools and am paying, quite handsomely, for private tutors.

you think thats strict? PLASTIC knives are 100% banned in all of the schools where I live!

88- not sure if this is the same story but I heard of a teen girl getting expelled for taking a pain medicine during school because she had cramps.

I actually agree with zero tolerance in these situations. I'm happy to give up my perceived rights to carry weapons, in exchange for knowing that everyone else has too. There have been enough school shootings and stabbings already in my lifetime, something needs to be done (even imperfect action is better than no action in these cases)

Schools are crazy and willing to say anything's a weapon. My brother got reamed out for bringing in hot sauce due to it being a 'weapon'. To be fair, though, it IS the seventh hot sauce in the world, burned him and made a few kids throw up. But another kid got suspended for a milder hot sauce after that.

#117, At my school, we have to eat our lunches with plastic spoons. We don't even get a plastic fork. ._. Talk about strict.

At points it can be ridiculous. But the rules are put there to help keep students safe. In this case the mom should have called and apologized. At my old high school I asked permission to carry pepper spray since I walked home every day and continuously had people cat-calling as I walked. They told me I wasn't allowed to carry anything at the school or even turn it into the office in the morning.

122-- you also have to keep in mind that schools are often at the mercy of extremely litigious parents. I once had a parent threaten to sue me for accidentally spilling water on her daughter. She actually had a lawyer contact my principal. I could rattle off a laundry list of other ridiculous incidents, but you get the idea.

The problem is that when schools don't have a strict policy and that one idiot kid sharpens a plastic knife into a shiv (could do that with a spoon or spork too) and stabs someone to death, they get their asses sued and its too late to do anything.

#121 What happens when there is someone who breaks that rule, and intends to harm people. then nobody can defend themself because they are unnamed against a person with a weapon

At my school one of my friends got suspended for one day just for bringing a plastic knife to school. The school administrators think that they are dangerous.

155- I think you are arguing from a constitutional rights perspective, not reality in schools. I doubt you honestly believe children in schools should carry weapons to protect themselves. Why not pre-schoolers too? They can carry guns for safety too

Being a student, if we can't keep our own actions responsible, then there is no way we can make it as adults. Just let Natural Selection take place.

Or they ignore the rule because they are crazy psychos and stab everybody anyway....

121 - "knowing that everyone else has to". There's the problem with your belief. You erroneously assume that all people, including criminals, obey the law when it comes to posted no-gun zones, so when a shooting inevitably *does* happen, it apparently *wasn't* the criminals. Oh dear *god* no, the guns simply sprouted legs and ran around firing at will.

Agreed....spoons are enough

She can deny the truth forever

She didn't know, maybe it was the only knifes there were. I don't think she did much wrong.

I kinda of a agree with 45. Did OP take it out and start waving it around? It's not op's mom's responsibility to know the rules. If he saw a knife in there he should have just kept it in there and put it in his locker or thrown it out.

Actually when it comes to your child is is your responsibility to know the rules. Try not to reproduce

And what age do you start taking responsibility for yourself? She packed the lunch. Why didn't you check it before leaving the house, or maybe grow up and pack your own lunch. Take responsibility for yourself. She was wrong as it was common knowledge, but the blame doesn't rest solely on her. If you're old enough to start posting on FML, you should be old enough to at the very least check the lunch you've been packed.

She insisted on making OP lunch, it doesn't sound like she does it every day. Is it so wrong for her to do nice things for her kid? There is partial responsibility on OP's mom. School has rules all the way up until grade 12, which is about when the kid turns 18, so she should make an effort to know the rules as that has impact on the child in a way that she can control. However, OP could have checked.

She could have been in a rush or didnt have any plasticware.. Honestly I think something like this could happen to any parent. And I agree with the person above who said that OP should take responsibility. My teachers would have thrown a fit if this happened to me and I tried to say it was my mom's fault.

If I saw a knife in my lunch bag, I'd keep it in there and not show anybody to avoid getting in trouble. Unless OP pulled it out and stared at it, and some tattle tale saw it an told, nobody would have known. When I was in school...every day of suspension, you'd get a 0 for every assignment you weren't there for and forbidden to make it up. So a suspension for 7 days can screw up your academic record for awhile, or the entire year if its during exams.

"Ooh, I'd better check that Mum hasn't put any contraband in my lunchbox" Don't know about you, but I tend to trust close family. OP's mum made a mistake. I doubt that she intentionally put a forbidden object in his bag - maybe her refusal is based on lack of intent? The question is, is she saying "I didn't put a knife in there" or "I didn't do anything wrong"?

@45 if it was a simple butter knife or a plastic knife then I would agree, but to the fact that it was a steak knife I think she did something wrong

What kind of household only has steak knives...? Everywhere I have lived/stayed the night, the kitchen was supplied with more kind of knives than just a steak knife. You know, butter knives and shit...?

He said she wouldn't let him make his lunch that day. Some mothers get sentimental and realize that they aren't needed as much any more and want to feel needed. So they try to do things they us to do when you were younger.

One kid at my old school got expelled for getting three write ups in one day. The write ups were for bringing peanut butter to school, a butter knife for the peanut butter to school, and having a studded belt. Not even big or sharp studs either. Just dull, not even half an inch high, decorative studs.

Well, op said she didn't know they were banned. I wouldn't think she needs to admit to any wrong doing. She should fight the suspension and take responsibility for the knife. Also, how did the knife get discovered? if he went to eat his food and saw a knife, why would he take it out for everyone to see?

Some schools have aids walking around and watching kids, so one of them could have been poking around and saw it.

OP probably didn't know she packed the knife and must have found out when they got to school

@16 Assuming he actually used it because I don't see a reason why they would randomly search a lunch bag. If it was a butter knife I would agree with you, but it says in the fml it was a steak knife. I don't know of a school that allows those kind of knives. I would've known just by common sense.

It depends on the school OP goes to. The high school I graduated from had metal detectors at the door plus bag scanners. If security thought they saw something, they would search your bag. Also we weren't even allowed to bring metal spoons to school.

That's rediculus I'm only 5 years out of high school and I used to carry a pocket knife to school and no one ever gave me any trouble about it

The mother could be like "sorry about the whole knife incident, that was my mis-steak."

That was a very sharp comment, 71.

I'm baffled that OP takes cream cheese for their school dinner, I had a jam butty and carrot sticks

you find the concept of cream cheese at school baffling? And I just have to say it's much more fun spreading cream cheese with a cool looking knife than a butter knife

I'm baffled how the OP got caught. Why take the knife out and prance it around? Just leave it in your lunchbox wrapped in a napkin or something.

They might have found it, realised it was against school policy and tried to turn it in to a member of staff. People have been suspended for that before since they still brought a knife onto school grounds.

Someone probably snitched, or a teacher just happened to come by at the right time and caught him. That sucks. Why the steak knife, though? Is a plastic knife not enough? I'm sure that would've been easier to hide. =/

I am picturing OP going all anime over the top with this when he found the steak knife: OP's eyes go wide, he grabs the stake knife and stands up, grasping the knife, dramatically holding it in the air, with appropriate background, and shouts: "Holy crap! Why is there a steak knife in my lunch?"

To all the people saying why pack a steak knife: maybe op's mom doesn't have any plasticware and all the butter knives were in the dish washer. Maybe she was in a rush that morning and just threw in whatever worked. If Op's mom is still packing his lunch than he should at least check it before he leaves. Or not take the knife out of his bag once he gets to school. I just don't see how this is the mom's fault.

Some schools have metal detectors right as you come in

it takes 30 seconds to take a sponge over a dirty butter knife.

Again, maybe she was running late and just didnt think about it. People make mistakes sometimes.

If she was in a rush,then why'd she pack the lunch in the first place?

I agree with you, until the 50's part. I'd rather live in a world where you can't bring your knife to school, than a world where women and blacks were treated like shit.

Oh God, good point! I wouldn't last a day in the 50's! Just wish the world was a safer place!

#18 Obvious troll is obvious.

I understand why knives are banned in schools - especially in the US where you've had a lot incidents of teenagers being killed with knives, guns etc. But here in the UK I remember when I was at school even in the 90s I was allowed to bring in a small bread knife to cut up my sandwich bun and spread jam/butter - teachers and students wouldn't blink an eye - it was commonplace! The way we have so many precautions now in schools and workplaces, whilst necessary, seems so sad. :(

Well, I live in the US, and most schools DO allow butter knives and little bread knives (provided the student doesn't threaten anyone with them). I think it's understandable that a steak knife wouldn't be allowed.

5 years ago I caried a pocket knife to school every day wtf has happened to this world

I've never heard of a school in the US allowing butter knives. I live in the US and I've always had strict rules. in elementary schools we weren't even allowed to touch snow