FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Student Expelled in Knife Incident

A sixth-grade Harry C. Fulton Middle School student was expelled last week for bringing a knife onto campus.

In an incident Monday, a seventh-grade boy brought a pocketknife to Fred Moiola Elementary School and will be suspended, Fountain Valley School District officials said.

Trustees took the action to expel the sixth-grader at their meeting Thursday. It was the second expulsion in the district’s history. The previous expulsion involved a boy disciplined during the last school year for bringing a handgun and loaded clip to school.

Assistant Supt. Marc Ecker said the boy expelled last week had brought a 7 1/2-inch knife--with a three-inch blade--to school in his backpack Oct. 7, but that there was not an intent to use it, nor did he threaten other students.

In Monday’s incident, district officials said the boy brought a 2 1/2-inch pocketknife to school. However, officials said the principal recommended that the boy only be suspended for five days.

“That’s our policy to support the site administrator,” said district Trustee Robert Sedlak. “The principal knows the kid, the situation and what happened.”

The district has a zero-tolerance policy for weapons, which was adopted by trustees last spring. However, the

policy grants principals the ability to use discretion in recommending and administering punishments.

Another trustee questioned the decision.

Larry R. Crandall said he plans to look into the difference between the two incidents to determine why the one boy was expelled, while the other was suspended.

Other trustees could not be reached for comment.