Carrying knives in school

So I was sitting in the first meeting of my Psychology 101 class (elective as I am an EE student), and we started talking about school security. Most of this was directed at high schools and the measures taken to prevent incidents similar to the Columbine shootings. Since the class meets at night, there are several adults, one of whom brought up the fact that when he was in high school, he knew someone who carried three knives on him at all times, and how such a thing couldn't happen in this day and age.

Of course I am sitting a few rows over with a Kershaw Blackout clipped to my front pocket and a Leatherman Charge in a holster on my belt. This got me thinking. I carried the same setup all through high school (00-04) and was never confronted by any administrators or teachers (except when asking to borrow one). I have no doubts that most other students would have had knives confiscated and disciplinary action taken against them. I never had this happen because it was known throughout the school as an Eagle Scout, as well as the head lighting technician in the theater and the guy who was at the school every weekend helping to build sets for the drama club's productions.

Has anyone else carried knives either in middle, high school, or college and had a similar experience? This can be very reciently or from several decades ago. I'd like to hear how it has changed over time.

try carrying a knife, unlabeled meds (even Tylenol), headgear, a necklace, or other non-sensical items and you'll get thrown out... :headshake:

I carried a SAK back in highschool and through college. Never felt a single bladed knife was useful for my purposes. The only cutting edge I have on me now is Leatherman Micra (or a Wave, depending on what I'm doing).

I see university students carrying knifes (folders) all the time.

I graduated high school in 92. During the 90-91 school year, we had a surprise metal detector inpsection one morning, complete with local TV crews. I was torn on this issue... On one hand, I'm all for improving the safety of schools and students, but the think I took exception to was that we were without a doubt, the safest and least violent school in the district. From the items that were confiscated, I assume the goal of the inspection was to show how dangerous the schools were in hopes for added funding rather than to show how safe the schools were. So... why not to go one of the schools with a better known history of violence and weapons?

Being the smartbutt that I was, I walked up to the superintendant and one of the film crews and started mouthing off about how idiotic it was to be confiscating compases (required for Geometry class) and rulers with the metal edge in the name of showing how dangerous the schools were.

I carried a knife the two years I went to high school in Texas but Indiana - or specifically Indianapolis - was a different scenario completely.

I think I carried some cheapy folder everyday to high school (about 14 years ago). I'm back in school again but I just carry my leatherman squirt (with UK knife laws and all).

I graduated high school in 79, from a California school. I went to grade school in New Jersey through ninth. I started carrying a knife to school in the 3rd grade, I believe. That is when I got my first scout knife. Never went to school a day after that without at least one knife in my pocket. Folders with clips had not been invented then, but I usually had a Buck 110 in my hip pocket and a small 3-blade stockman in my front pocket. Used it all the time for things and no one ever said a thing about it.

I grew up in a VERY rural school in upstate NY. We were all farmboys and we all carried at least a small folding knife and I can still remember the official school rule which was "Sr. High boys are allowed to carry a folding knife with a blade no longer than 4" as long as it was in a visible belt pouch unless under probation status". Essentially that meant that if you weren't causing trouble then they didn't care.

Man, if you were a guy and you didn't have a Buck "Folding Hunter" (the 110)strapped to your belt you might as well have had a giant red letter branded on your forehead 'cause everyone figured you were in trouble and avoided you.

How times have changed!

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I carried a 5 inch hunting knife in my school backpack for several years in the late '90's because the walk home was treacherous (my group of friends really attracted the bullies). Fortunately I only had to threaten one person with it, then the bullying kinda died-down.

"Well now, sonny, I remember back when I was a kid....."

Today's world, even in rural Texas, is totally different than what I grew up with. Knives and guns were considered tools. A K-Bar Trapper (the two-blade yellow handle) was the knife of choice. Everyone, even some girls, had one or something similar.

Fellow members of the 4-H rifle team often brought their cased .22 rifles to school and stored them in the principals office for an after school shoot. A couple of times I carried mine to or from school on the school bus. No big deal.

What a change.

I was thinking that in Ohio, they don't have any choice but to act if a student has a knife or other "dangerous weapon" on their person. It doesn't matter if you're the troopmaster of the Eagle Scouts and you are the director, producer and actor of a solo show in the theater, no "weapons" allowed.

of course, go to a university and knives are all over. Nobody gets stabbed there, at least not when I've been around and I seldom leave..

When I was in school not many people carried knives (by choice). But some did, although I think they were frowned upon. Now days every few months I see a local news story about about some little gradeschool kid who gets suspended or expelled for carrying a SAK or a nail clipper in school.

A fellow on another board I'm on has a good story about high school when he was in it. During deer season the students were encouraged to bring their guns into the school while it was in session. This was done so no one would steal the rifles and shotguns out of their cars.

I carried a knife 3" folding knife most of my senior year, (2002) though I was careful who I used it around. Had an administrator found out it the ensuing scene probably would have made the news. As far as I was concerned, I was 18, and it was none of their damn business if I want to carry a useful tool in my pocket.

On the other hand the metal shop teacher used to let us make our own knives. "Don't tell your parents I let you do this!" :laughing: He knew I carried a knife and didn't care....

I was on the School Board in California from 1997-2003.

Here is what California law says (my emphasis):
"48915. (a) Except as provided in subdivisions (c) and (e), the
principal or the superintendent of schools shall recommend the
expulsion of a pupil for any of the following acts committed at
school or at a school activity off school grounds, unless the
principal or superintendent finds that expulsion is inappropriate,
due to the particular circumstance:
(1) ...
(2) Possession of any knife or other dangerous object of no
reasonable use to the pupil."

And, we DID have a student recommended for expulsion for having a pocket knife. Fortunately, we, the School Board, had a bit (well, a LOT) more common sense.

I am convinced that under today's rules, I would have been expelled a dozen times for things I did (and none were really bad).

Mark

In my case, I probably would not have wanted to whip out a knife in front of our assistant principal, but they definitely knew I carried them, the leatherman on my belt was out in the open, and you could see the clip of the folder on the side of my pocket. The teachers didn't mind at all though. I did get yelled at once for making a mess on the floor when I sharpened my pencil with a knife.

magic79 said:

(2) Possession of any knife or other dangerous object of no
reasonable use to the pupil.
Mark

Click to expand...

I think my knives would have fallen under the catagory of reasonable use.

In Massachusetts the laws reguarding knives are not very clear but it seems to be saying that if you are in possession of a knife when caught comitting a crime, and you don't have a specific reason for it (taking it to be repaired/sharpened, boy scout event, hunting etc.) then you can be charged with posession of a dangerous weapon. Otherwise the only restrictions are that you can't carry a stiletto, dirk knife, switchblade, double edged or ninja stars. There is no length limit on knives according to the Chief of police in the town next to mine.

In my high school the only people got harassed for knives were the local kids, the bussed-in mexicans had so many knives that cops and the school didn't dare to touch them. Total bullsh*t, a friend of mine got suspended for a week for having a 3 inch folder, and the "homies" had swtich blades openly displayed in their hand and the administration looked the other way as long as they didn't see the stabbing...

I live in a predominantly wealthy neighbirhood where things aren't too bad but still, people are paranoid.

About two years back, I had a 3" pocket knife sitting in my jacket pocket from work the other day and I had totally forgotten about it when I wore the jacket to school. Well, as luck would have it, I fall down later that day and the knife falls out and some kid sees it and reports me to the administrator. I had a warrant out for my arrest 24 hours later, spent a night in jail and had the county try pressing felony weapons charges against me. Luckily, after lots of money was spent on my lawyer and lots of paperwork done, I was able to have my charges dropped by agreeing to admit guilt and be indicted then do 150 hours of community service within a given period of time.

Moral of the story here is that it doesn't matter what the weapons rules are at school or why they are there, just follow them. You also need to check your pockets every morning before leaving the house.

AlphaKilo470 said:

Moral of the story here is that it doesn't matter what the weapons rules are at school or why they are there, just follow them. You also need to check your pockets every morning before leaving the house.

Click to expand...

You must have broken a law of some kind in your town/state. It is important to note the difference between rules and laws. Schools have no authority what so ever to make or enforce laws, and breaking of laws is the only thing that puts you in jail. The worst a school can do to punish anyone is suspend/expell, which really isn't a punishment at all, it's a vacation...

I carried a knife throughout high school (95-99) and college (99-03) with no issues, but I went to a small private high school and a college in Indiana where they didn't really care.

"Schools have no authority what so ever to make or enforce laws, and breaking of laws is the only thing that puts you in jail. The worst a school can do to punish anyone is suspend/expell, which really isn't a punishment at all, it's a vacation..."

This is absolutely true. There are, however, laws that require schools to report certain crimes to the police. These are predominantly violent crimes and weapon possession. For things like drug possession/use schools are not *required* to report to the police and more often than not, they don't. Most of the kids we had to expell (the absolute worst aspect of being on the school board) were not reported to the police.