Supreme Court Decision May Change School Weapons Policies

School policy regarding weapons will be affected around the state this year. Students who are found with weapons on school premises can only by expelled or dismissed if they deliberately or intentionally violate school policy.

The Minnesota State Supreme Court made the decision in early August in regards to the expulsion of Alyssa Drescher. During a April 2014 random drug search of United South Central High School in Wells, MN,an officer was alerted to Drescher’s locker. Upon a search of the unlocked locker, he didn’t any illegal substances, but found a three inch folding pocketknife within a purse pocket. She told school officials that she had forgotten to remove the knife but the district policy was a minimum suspension for three days. Under district policy, she was then expelled for the rest of the school year.

The district policy was that “[n]o student or non student, including adults and visitors, shall possess, use of distribute a weapon when in a school location.” District officials argued that it was following the Minnesota Pupil Fair Dismissal Act. The board also held a hearing for the case, at the end of April, and found that she willfully violated its policy and endangered others.

In the Supreme Court decision, it concluded that the student must know of the school policy and make a deliberate, intentional decision to violate said policy in order to be dismissed under the act.