FOUNTAIN VALLEY : 2 Boys Are Expelled Over Marijuana Deal

Two boys were expelled by the Fountain Valley School District last week for possession and sale of marijuana on a school campus.

A 14-year-old was expelled for the remainder of the school year for selling marijuana, district officials said.

But the expulsion of a 13-year-old, who had marijuana on campus, was suspended by the Board of Trustees. He will be allowed to attend another school in the district.

Fountain Valley police said both boys were arrested March 17 at Fred Moiola School. Police Sgt. Dann Bean said the younger boy bought a small amount of marijuana from the older.

District officials declined to furnish other information about the incident.

Trustees had also considered expelling a second-grader who brought a small pocketknife to school.

Trustee Larry Crandall said the board decided not to expel the boy because he “had it in his jacket pocket and forgot it was there.”

The district has a zero-tolerance policy, meaning students who bring any type of weapon to school, including guns or knives, face expulsion.

Board President Robert Sedlak said that policy may be too harsh and that the board should reconsider it. In the case of the second-grader, for example, “it was an innocent situation,” he said. “The policy is wrong.”

However, Trustee Julie Hoxsie said she believes the policy is not excessive.

“I feel that in the other cases, the policy did its job,” Hoxsie said. “This is the first time where it was an accident and we had to view it in a different light.

“The other part is that we have an obligation to protect our students and staff. A knife on campus, depending on the intent, could be a threat to students and staff.”