Lunchbox mix-up leads to charges & suspension for Sanford teen

Sanford, N.C. — An athletic and academic standout in Lee County said a lunchbox mix-up has cut short her senior year of high school and might hurt her college opportunities.

Ashley Smithwick, 17, of Sanford, was suspended from Southern Lee High School in October after school personnel found a small paring knife in her lunchbox.

Smithwick said personnel found the knife while searching the belongings of several students, possibly looking for drugs.

“She got pulled into it. She doesn’t have to be a bad person to be searched,” Smithwick’s father, Joe Smithwick, said.

The lunchbox really belonged to Joe Smithwick, who packs a paring knife to slice his apple. He and his daughter have matching lunchboxes.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8845676/

Is that normal in schools now??

First there was the War on Drugs(tm). Now we have the new improved War on Terror(tm).

... in both schools and criminal sentencing are getting out of control. Although in this case, it seems even the principal was involved in the severity in this ridiculousness. 50 years ago I'm sure she would've gotten a short, stern lecture and then sent on to her next class. Sorry, but I don't consider this progress.

She would have not been the subject of a routine search. Even if she had to explain to someone why she had the knife, "to cut my apple" would be the end of it.

for sharpening pencils. There would always be one boy in her class who would have a sharp knife and would keep the pencils sharp for all the other students.

His Grandpa brought it home from the war :)

Today, that kid would be on death-row:)

Almost everyone also owned guns and were taught to use them responsibly.

The nanny state is totally out of control.

This is far from the first case

I would be in jail.

They really make themselves look ridiculous when they go to extremes.
They start seeing tairists in every shadow and behind every bush.