Gun found in bookbag at Whitewater Middle

Sat, 09/08/2007 - 7:30am
By: John Munford

A Whitewater Middle school student found a gun in her bookbag Thursday morning and immediately reported it to a teacher, according to a letter sent home to parents by principal Sandra Kidd.

The student told school officials that the gun "had been temporarily placed in her book bag that morning for transport to the family's vehicle," the letter stated, adding the student didn't intend to bring the weapon to school.

"At no time were students in any danger," Kidd wrote.

The student found the handgun in her bookbag when she looked inside the bag while in the school's commons area before homeroom began.

"As soon as school officials learned about the weapon, proper procedures were followed and the incident was reported to the Fayette County Sheriff's Department," the letter said.

Students who discover the presence of any weapon at school are asked to report the matter to any school official immediately.

Although the incident happened Thursday morning, a letter about the incident wasn't sent home to Whitewater Middle parents until Friday afternoon.

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secret squirrel's picture
Submitted by secret squirrel on Tue, 09/11/2007 - 8:25am.

This is a perfect case to illustrate the ridiculous absurdity of the "zero tolerance" statutes and guidelines regarding weapons on school campuses. Mandatory punishments have removed the ability of our judiciary and school administrators from using their own obvious common sense in examining each case individually. Rather than accounting for context, the student's history, intent and relevant indicators, these "zero tolerance" rules and laws take the ability to interpret and apply law from the hands of the judiciary and put it in the well-meaning but often misguided and uniformed hands of the lawmakers.

Will this middle school student be suspended or expelled? Isn't that what "zero tolerance" requires? Or will common sense reign and will someone finally move to put an end to these laws?


Submitted by Daniel Ross on Sat, 09/08/2007 - 10:10pm.

I wonder if she was related to Robin Kitrell...

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