Student Suspended For Leaving Hunting Bow In Truck

[Mayfly]

Student Suspended For Leaving Hunting Bow In Truck


MILACA, Minn. (WCCO) ― A high school student in Milaca, Minn. was suspended from class, after leaving his hunting bow in his truck that was parked at school.

Keith Larson hasn't been to school in a week-and-a-half and he's missed football practice, among many other things.

One morning Larson drove to school with a bow and arrow set in the back of his Ford Explorer. It was all covered up, just sitting in the back end.

"No. I didn't plan nothing to use it. I just forgot it in the back of my vehicle," he said. Larson said had been on a hunting trip a few days before with his buddy.

He said the second he remembered he had the bow, he reported it to his teacher in the very first five minutes of class at Milaca High School. But Larson said that she didn't report the bow to administrators right away.

"And then halfway through the last hour of the day the principal came and called me down, and came and took it out of my vehicle, and told me I was getting suspended and possibly expelled," Larson recalled.

Principal Troy Anderson said the school has a strict, zero-tolerance policy. He said students know they can't bring a weapon to school.

"Our kids at Milaca High School should know what the expectations are," said Anderson. "In my mind is a bow a weapon? In my mind, it is."

There are exceptions to the zero-tolerance rule. Part of the code states:

"If it would be impractical or dangerous to take the weapon to the principal's office, a student shall not be considered to possess a weapon if he or she immediately turns the weapon over to an administrator, teacher or head coach or immediately notifies an administrator, teacher or head coach of the weapon's location."

The principal would not talk about specifics of this case, and whether it falls into that exception, but Larson isn't afraid to say how he feels about the situation and his teacher.

"I think it was a little harsh," he remarked. "If we had zero-tolerance, she should have had reported it immediately after I told her, not at the end of the day, because if I was going to do something, I had all day to do it."

According to Anderson, Larson will not be expelled, but he won't be able to go back to school until next Wednesday.

He hasn't gotten his bow back, and if he doesn't he'll have to spend $1,000 to buy a new one.

Larson is a senior, football player and the captain of his wrestling team at Milaca High School. He's also nominated to be Homecoming King. After all this, he's left wondering if being honest really is the best policy.

[Spinach]

Man did the school go a little overboard or what?? I do understand that they have to carry out the policy of no weapons, but a fricken compound bow...... Come on.

Take it away, call his parents and keep it on record is what could have happened, have the parents pick the bow up and call it a misunderstanding.

Sounds to me like he just plain forgot that his hunting equipment was in the back of his truck. The school could have used better judgement in my opinion.

Weird story!

[Bobby Bass]

How do you forget about a 1000.00 bow in the back of your truck?   for a few days.

[Cody Gruchow]

my bow never leaves the back of my truck and its a explorer also. i mean it happens i can say its happened to me more than one time, only difference is i wasnt dumb enough to say anything. i just put everything ontop of it to hide it, does that make me a bad person absolutly not, did i have any intention of hurting anyone, no i did not, i just plain forgot about it.     now is it really his fault that it took the teacher almost all day to say something to an administrator?

[JohnWester]

what authority does the school have to take his personal property?  I call BS on that one.

[Mayfly]

I don't know if CC is the same as high school but a few years a go when I was going to Inver Hills Community College I would have a 7am class that was 50 minutes long. I would have the shotgun and the dog in the car and by 8 I would be heading south. If I had the chance to do that while in high school I would of done the same.

[Bobby Bass]

I don't have any experience on a high school campus but I do have eight years of experience on a college campus as a  campus security officer. It was clearly stated in our student handbook that firearms of any description including bows were not allowed on campus at any time for any reason. By agreeing to admission to the college you also agree to abide by all rules in the student handbook and accept the penalties. Yes I have seized firearms and yes on two occasion we seize bows. The question is not if you have any intent to do someone harm it is to protect the student population and employees of the college from someone who may do harm. If the high school like many schools now have a zero attitude towards any weapons it is to error on the safe side. Some are ridiculous like the kid who drew a picture of a gun and was suspended. Each case must be looked at and if there is cause for it being dismissed then it should be. I would hope that someone will be able to follow up on this and see what actions the school takes in what looks like a questionable suspension of the student on an error made by the teacher. As for the seizing of private property once it has become contraband it may be seized and held by the school. This includes drugs, booze and weapons. Enforcement of rules on a campus are only supersede by local , state and federal laws. If I am not mistaken I do believe there are now federal laws regarding firearms on colleges.

My comment about leaving a bow in a back of a truck for a few days.. I guess I place more value on my hunting and fishing gear to do something like that.

[Grute Man]

Well I know about 50+ kids at WBL that should be suspended too.  They have "Archery In School."   Just like you have choir, math, football....we got archery.  The Millaca Principal says its a weapon in his mind.  Yeah mine too but let's use some common sence.  The kid mentioned it himself.  Did he say "I got one and aint afeered to use it!"  I don't think so.  If they wanted to confiscate it or punish him in some way that's understandable due to the Zero Tollerance but to expell him would be too much.  I hope the kid can be allowed to finish school.

When I was a kid, many MANY kids had a shotgun slung across the back window of the pickup, loaded, and the truck unlocked.  It was so common, no one even thought twice.   

[Sew Sille]

 Don Mcg. I agree with you. We had guns in our cars when we went to school also. I lived 20 Miles from school , we hunted differnt places on the way home. IN MY OPINION,THE TEACHER SHOULD BE SUSPENDED ALSO. Wes

[sconihunter]

I think it is definitely a harsh punishment.  But, it is the kids fault.  When I was in high school, I parked a couple blocks away from the school if I had a bow/ gun in my car because I knew the school rules and didn't want to chance it.  I realize the kid forgot, but you gotta use your head.

[HUNTER2]

I think this world has lost all common sense.

[hunting-princess]

Don our kids are in the same school, my daughter would bring the genius bow to school all the time - I think once on the school bus to North and they never said a word to her about it.

I know of many times she would walk into school with the bow in a unlocked case, however leaving it in the main office or with with the coach. I've even walked in the building with the bow in case.

Let's focus on the drugs in school first!

[Grute Man]

I agree with Princess.  This kids bow was not a threat to anyone.  How about drugs, gangs, kids skipping class, cheating on tests...   And like Hunter2 said - we need to use common sence.

[cva54]

I to think this is a bunch of bull I dont like to but I do  leave my bow in my truck ( I like it to mutch) but come on here this is MN it is hunting season if U are all like me heading out hunting might happen 30 sec. ago . And as far as all the school sys. thay ALL will jump when somthing like this happens with NO concidertion of why it is there only thought in there little brain is he is going to kill some one (a person) why dont they do there JOB TEACH isnt that what they are PAYED for

[Auggie]

   When I was in school (high school and college)it was common practice to leave during study hall or noon and hunt. Although fox brought about $70-$80 at the time and if you got back a little late oh well!!! Many mornings I came in straight from the duck blind after skipping 1st hour with a gun in the vehicle.
    Times have changed and I understand the reasoning behind the rules, BUT common sense needs to be used in a situation like this. It was not like we are talking about kids in the metro who do not have quick access to hunt. In rural MN it is part of life. I have picked my kid up not even thinking twice about having guns in the vehicle. Common sense.
    We pulled into Mt Rushmore the first spring after 9/11 with our guns uncased (legal in SD) and mags full (also legal) in full camo. We were turkey hunting and one of the guys had never been there so we decided to stop after having breakfast in town. They had extra security on at the time and they never made a fuss. They simply asked us to unload the mags and be sure to lock the vehicle. Simple applied use of common sense.
    He said he had it with him. So they knew there was no intent. Give the kid his bow back, a good ass chewing and forget about it already!!!!!
     

[dhacker]

IMO - the intention of the policy is a good idea based upon the past school shootings throughtout the US - unfortunately it is left upon the school board and administrators to write and maintain the policy.  There just seems to be no room for common sense to be applied by these people on any of these such as a pocket knife, box cutter, bow, etc.

I guess the lesson learned is he should have left school and brought the bow home and returned to school late.

[proangler16]

So, did schools now do away with Archery Class for Phy-ed, back in the day Archery was taught in Phyed class almost all over the place that I know of?  They will have to get rid of those bows then can cancel that class  at schools.  Your right, no common sense on that one.

[Duckslayer]

This is one of them "things that make ya go hmmm".  We I was a kid we never used to lock our house up when we left, we used to leave the house in the morning and not come back till dinner and then off again all afternoon till supper, we used to leave our bikes in the back yard and most of the time the garage was open.  In this day in age a person can't do any of that anymore.  I used to have a gun in the back of my car as well.  Truth be know that car did not lock either.  Still does not!  However comma pause for effect the world is not the same any more.  We all know that!  We all see it every day!  That is why we have to have crazy rules to protect us from crazy people!  The zero tollerance of anything near a school means exactly that.  There are no exceptions.  It is a sad thing to say I know but the best thing that kid could have done was skip out of school and take the bow somewhere and leave it there till after school.  I know that it is stupid but that is the way that the world is going.  I do not agree with it but we have to protect the innocent from the dimented and you don't know who they are or where they will show up.  Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[guythathunts]

A bunch of you are wrong. 
Let me tell you why.  (that should say king... you get my drift)

Yes the kid should not have brought the bow to school. But the Kid went by the book. He told his teacher! What the heck was the teacher thinking not coninscating the bow RIGHT AWAY! This same thing happened to me in highschool. Except it was a big ol' buck knife and it fell out of my jacket when I was putting it in mu locker.

A teacher saw it happen and asked me what was going on. I told her that I was hunting the day B4 with my Dad and forgot it in my pocket. _ all True_ She took the knife, asked for my Dad's # and called him. He confirmed it and she told him to come pick up the knife when he could. The knife was brought to the pricipals office and that day Dad came to pick me up, got the knife and we went hunting!

The teacher is all at fault here. If the kid told the teacher and the teacher did not tell the kid what had to be done, then the kid is done with his part. It is now in the hands of the authorities. The kid goes to school there. He does not work there. He did not sign anything saying he read and understood the law of the land, and if he did he is not an adult so it is not legaly binding in any other case. The kid is not an adult. Heck the kid is just a kid doing a resposable thing by telling the teacher! The teacher on the other hand is .... The kid should press charges. IF I were 17, couldn't hunt and couldn't play football because some numb nads didn't know how to use common sence I would go bananas.

[deadeye]

King or not, guythathunts does have a point here.  When the kid told the teacher, he/she should have simply told the kid to take the bow home.  Of course, then if something happened to the kid on the way home (ramdom accident or whatever) everyone would have jumped on the teacher for telling him to go home.  Sometimes you just can't win.

[repoman]

me personally i think i would of parked the car around the block somewhere and kept my mouth shut . oops wont do it again type thing .
but you guys are absolutly right the kid did the right thing and got penalized for it . if i were the dad id take 2 days off from work and have some more 1on1 with my boy hunting  ...

kinda goes back to somethiung i experianced not to long ago .
my daughter got jumped outside of school buy 3 african american (to be politicly correct)girls in front of the school and she sat there and fought for a good 4 minutes before any staff etc.. came out they clearly seen these girls beaten on my daughter . well long story short .
next day they suspended all the girls and my daughter  i went ballistic . well needless to say im still fighting with the school board about it . oh and the girls got 3 months probation from our lovley judicial system