Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210102
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The boy, a fifth-grader at Elliston-Lafayette Elementary School, had been suspended since Oct. 2, after he and two other boys confessed to having the gun on school property.
In October, the board expelled another fifth-grader involved in the case for 365 days. The third boy was suspended for 10 days and is back at the school.
This is the first case the School Board has had to grapple with since the General Assembly required tougher punishment for children who bring weapons to school. Last spring, it passed a law that required school principals and superintendents to recommend year-long expulsion for any student who brings a weapon onto school property.
The School Board makes the final decision, however, and can choose not to accept that recommendation.
Tony Hess, who attended his son's two-hour closed-door meeting with the board, said he disagrees with the state law.
``There are these wide guidelines that don't deal with the individual child's circumstances. ... It's misleading and it needs to be fixed,'' he said.
Hess' son, who owned the gun, said he didn't bring it on the bus. The boy who was expelled had borrowed the gun and brought it. Hess' son said he knew that was wrong, so he hid the gun in his backpack.
The third boy pushed the gun back into the backpack when it began to slip out, then reported it to the principal the next day.
Neither Superintendent Herman Bartlett nor School Board members would comment on the case.
Hess' son said he was relieved just to go back to school.
``This has been worse than summer vacation, because I want to be there now,'' he said.
by CNB