NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Schools across America encourage students to say something if they see something unusual. In Newport News, a high school student said she did exactly that but she was reprimanded.
The student, who wished not to be named, said it all started on the bus ride to school Thursday morning when another student was seen with a boxcutter in hand.
"He had handed it to me, and he ran off the bus. I didn’t have time to say, 'No, I don’t want this.' So I immediately went to a teacher," the student said.
The student's father said that his daughter suffered consequences for trying to maintain safety in her school.
"I went to pick her up from school and once we were on the road, I told her that they were going to suspend her for five days," the father said.
The student's dad said he was told that he could appeal the decision. After he did so, he told News 3 that the school told him that they would knock off three days of her suspension. The student's father still argued that his daughter was still being punished for doing the right thing.
To make matters worse, it’s finals week. Before this incident, the student's father said that his child excelled in school and has always had a big dream to reach new heights.
"She has aspirations to be one of the youngest fighter pilots in Air Force history. She’s going to be applying to the Air Force Academy and I have no doubts she’ll get in. But with this happening, it brings it into question," the father said.
"For your junior and senior year, you can’t have much discipline record," added the student.
Her dad said what's written on her record is only half of the story.
"The paperwork that they gave me states that she brought a weapon into the school that’s all it says," said the father.
Looking back the student and her family said they’re not sure what she would have done to keep this mark off her record whether that was leaving the boxcutter on the bus or discarding it at school.
On Friday, the school district responded to this incident with a statement.
"All students are expected to follow Newport News Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and keep each other and their school environments safe and secure. An administrator from the school has been in contact with the student's parents. They will continue to work together to support the student."
