Elementary Schooler Expelled

KATU:

The syringe had been found by a boy near a dumpster close to his residence. He broke off the needle, but about 1/16th of an inch of it remained in place. During afternoon recess, the boy and four other students were together on the playground and one of those other students was touched on the arm with some part of the syringe. A playground monitor saw the syringe and alerted the assistant principal, who, with the principal, immediately summoned the boy and the four other students from class. The principals confiscated the syringe and questioned them about the incident.

[…]

The boy who brought the syringe to school was placed on emergency expulsion. The incident is being probed further to determine if others were exposed to the syringe and to get contents of the syringe tested. Teachers will be stressing to students the importance of not touching syringes or needles they might find, but to tell an adult.

According to the article, a boy in elementary school found a syringe, something that this boy probably had no idea existed. He broke off the needle on it and accidentally touched someone with it. No one was hurt, they don’t even know what was in the syringe. This incident could have been resolved with a plea of “innocent by reason of ignorance.”

This boy didn’t know what he was doing. It would be the same as a dog’s being arrested for eating garbage. This punishment certainly did not fit the crime. It was not his fault.