Weapons in School: When a Neck Chain is Considered a Weapon

Weapons are manufactured to serve as a means of protection or to cause intentional bodily harm, and items such as guns, knives, and brass knuckles are obviously weapons in every sense of the word, but ordinary objects have been banned in some schools because they could be used as weapons. Where should the line be drawn when determining what is or isn't a weapon?

The line between what is and isn't a weapon is becoming increasingly vague, and the definition of a weapon has been skewed by well meaning school personnel who want to avoid problems before they begin, but is this fair to innocent students? The following is a true story of an ordinary object that was banned in school because it could have been used as a weapon.

A Neck Chain or a Weapon?

My son wore a neck chain to school that was embellished with narrow lightweight metal beads shaped like wavy teeth, for lack of a better description. He wasn't a troublemaker, and had never been involved in fights. After wearing this neck chain to school one day, he was informed by school personnel not to wear the neck chain again because it could be used as a weapon. I agreed with my son that this assumption was unfounded, and I told him he could continue wearing the neck chain if he wanted to.

This neck chain probably wouldn't have been the choice of a student on the football team or the track team, and it more than likely wouldn't have been worn by a teacher or other school officials, but this neck chain was something my son liked to wear. It was an expression of his style, and it wasn't a weapon in any way, shape, or form. The neck chain looked like something a biker might wear or someone else who wasn't afraid to express his or her individual style by wearing something unique. I thought it was ridiculous to assume this neck chain could be used as a weapon just because of the design.

How About Pencils and Other Weapons of Destruction?