ELCC Standard 3.0.

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Part 1:  Case Analysis

1. Brief summary of the case:

A parent, and likely others, are upset because a child brought a gun to school. The student brought a gun as artifact for a project and did not have malicious intent. However, a student handbook has just been distributed that should include a zero tolerance policy. 

1. Identify the issues to be resolved:

-angry community members need to be addressed 

-the parent and student who brought the gun to school need to be addressed

-the school handbook needs to be reviewed to confirm it has the policy included 

1. Stakeholders involved in the issues:

-principal

-assistant principal

-classroom teacher 

-student who brought gun and her parent 

-other parents and students

1. One or two existing laws or court rulings that relate to the issues: 

Under 18 U.S.C. section 922(q), it is unlawful for an unauthorized person to knowingly possess a firearm in a school zone or a firearm that has moved in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the individual knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a school zone.

1. District policies that relate to the issues:

The school just implemented a zero tolerance policy for student misbehavior.

1. Possible solutions to the issues:

-review the policy and follow it as it is written 

1. The solutions you are choosing to resolve the issues: 

I would review the school’s new policy and give the most lienet option outlined for this student. 

1. Action steps (2-5) for implementing your solution, including a timeline for each step:

-review school policy 

-meet with family and student to review it and the situation

-determine consequences and next steps

-send a letter home outlining the details of the situation 

1. Potential moral and legal consequences of the solutions:

-a potential moral consequence of this solution is giving a student a more harsh consequence than necessary 

Part 2:  Rationale

Support the case analysis with a 500-750 word rationale explaining the decisions you made and how those decisions: 

• Support the school’s vision and mission and safeguard the values of democracy, equity, and diversity. 

• Promote social justice and ensure that individual student needs inform all aspects of schooling

• Promote collaboration, trust, learning, and high expectations.

Cite the case and any other source documents as appropriate.

Making a decision in this case is complicated because there are so many moving pieces. Ultimately, as the school leader, I would be required to ensure that the new policy is carried out, however before doing so I would want to be sure that policy was included in the printed handbook that went out to families in my absence. Assuming that the policy was printed and distributed, there would not be much room for leniency in this case regarding the student’s consequence. Although I believe there would be mixed feelings about the zero tolerance policy being carried out, there is opportunity for collaboration, learning, and high expectations with the student and her family. Leaders and the family could collaborate to brainstorm restorative measures to be taken, and help inform the family why it was a mistake to send the student to school with the gun, even as an academic artifact. Following through on the policies the school publishes establishes the important precedent that they are not negotiable and will apply to all students. This is an incredibly important message to send to the entire community, especially regarding student’s emotional and physical safety.  

While the case does not provide any specific language included in the new policy, I would assume that it requires the student to be suspended for a period of time, documentation of the incident, with the promise of expulsion if the circumstance, or a similar one, was to occur. I imagine this would be the outcome of the situation, especially because the weapon was removed from campus, with no harm done or malicious intent demonstrated by the student. Had the principal been on campus to address the issue, and proper protocol followed (the teacher confiscates the item and turns it in to school leaders) there might have been a more escalated consequence of required law enforcement contact. Fortunately for the student and family, it would not be necessary to call law enforcement in this instance. Unfortunately for this family, a high level consequence would still be a requirement of the policy, and necessary to satisfy parents and student’s desire to see fair treatment for potentially dangerous behavior. 

After addressing the student and her family, I would ensure that a letter went out to all students and families to clarify what took place, what was done in response, and clarify the school’s position and policy. Along with this, I would want to work with other leaders to ensure that teachers are clear on the protocol to follow in the event that they become aware of a weapon on campus. Returning the weapon to the student at the end of the school day was not an acceptable action, it should have been returned to the parent or retained by the school. This decision would likely be determined by the language of the policy, and should be clarified for all staff. Lastly, I would work with the school counselor to brainstorm ways to support students who have been mentally and emotionally affected by the incident.