Girl Arrested for Packing a Lunch Knife

An 11-year-old honor student who packed a knife in her lunch box to cut a piece of chicken was suspended and arrested on charges of bringing a weapon to school.

“Mom was busy, and dad had gone to work,” Charlotte Kirk said, explaining how she packed the smooth-edge knife with her leftover peas, chicken and apple on Oct. 18.

The sixth-grader said she never even took the knife out of her lunch box. She asked a teacher if it was OK to use it and was told “no” and got a lecture.

Charlotte then tried to eat her lunch, tearing the chicken with her fingers. “But I didn’t eat a lot,” she said. “I was too upset.”

As she was leaving school with her father, she was arrested. She was later suspended.

Charlotte went before a school hearing board Friday to see when she could return to school. After the hearing, she said she felt as if officials were trying to make an example out of her.

“I just told them the truth, really,” she said. “That I did not bring it intentionally. If I would have, I wouldn’t have asked the teacher if I could use it.”

A district spokeswoman said it might be 10 days before a decision is made. Charlotte will go to Family Court on the criminal charge later.

Supt. Don Henderson said the school followed policy. “When a weapon is found, the police have to be called.”