A 6-year-old boy who faced a lengthy punishment for bringing his favorite camping utensil to school — a combination folding knife, fork and spoon — has gotten a reprieve.
The school board made a hasty change to its strict zero tolerance code of conduct Tuesday night.
The seven-member board voted unanimously to reduce the punishment for kindergartners and first-graders who bring weapons to school or commit other violent offenses to a suspension ranging from three to five days.
First-grader Zachary Christie had faced 45 days in an alternative school for troublemakers after he brought the utensil to school with the intent of using it to eat his lunch.
The punishment is one of several in recent years that has sparked national debate on whether school systems have gone too far with zero tolerance policies.
