Joe C. - Day 18

I hope you all enjoyed my Day 17 update on the Cussing Bandit, but Day 18 gets even better.

On Friday, Day 18 of his hopefully short enrollment in my classroom, Joe C. was reported to have a pocketknife in his backpack that he had been brandishing at other students all week.

My first thought, of course, was not surprise. It was, "Why are you just telling me this NOW!?!?! He's been doing this for 4 days already!?!?! Someone could have been seriously hurt!"

I called Joe to my desk and asked him about the knife. He admitted to bringing it on Monday, but swore he had left it at home since then. He sure broke a sweat though when I told him he needed to empty his backpack in front of me.

Shocker of shockers, I found it in the only pocket he neglected to unzip. It was one heck of a pocket knife with about a 5 inch locking blade. He had been carrying it up his sleeve during recess and lunch every day last week. When I asked him if he understood the consequences for bringing a knife to school he said, "I could be suspended or expelled."

His expulsion is pending school board approval, but it is doubtful it will be approved. He's diagnosed ADHD, and a case could be made that he cannot recognize long-term consequences.

According to his answer to me, he sure does...