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Student caught with knife on Chesterfield school bus

Posted at 3:58 PM, Mar 10, 2014
and last updated 2014-03-10 17:01:35-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – A 10-year-old student will not be charged with a crime after bringing a knife on the school bus.

Police investigated the incident on Friday, March 7 aboard a bus assigned to Matoaca Elementary School.

The folding knife, police said, included a two-inch blade.

A “pocket knife having a folding metal blade of less than three inches” is allowed on school grounds, according to Virginia Code.

Police said the student was showing off the knife and that no one was hurt.

“We take very seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and supportive environment that is free from disruption,” Shawn Smith, Spokesman for Chesterfield County School said, in an email. “Students who violate student conduct regulations are subject to suspension and/or expulsion, and, if the offense is a violation of the law, to prosecution.”

“To protect students’ rights to privacy, the Congress of the United States has enacted the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This law prohibits school divisions from releasing certain student information, including whether any disciplinary action has been taken, without the express written permission of parents or guardians.”