COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – An angry Coldwater School parent has bypassed local media outlets and has taken a gripe she has with district officials to a Kalamazoo TV station. Denise Davies claimed in an interview aired Monday night on WWMT-TV that her seventh grade son Kyler was automatically suspended for a year after he found a pocket knife in his backpack on the first day of school.
Davies says she bought the backpack at a Goodwill store. She went on to say her son reported the discovery to a counselor at Legg Middle School but was suspended anyway.
Davies blasted the district for “punishing him for doing what’s right”.
Our attempts to contact Davies have been unsuccessful but she posted on her Facebook page early Tuesday afternoon, “I would like to thank everyone for your kind words and support.”
A spokesperson for the district confirms the suspension was later reduced to 30 days.
Superintendent Terry Ann Boguth has been unavailable but she said in a written statement that the district does not disclose information regarding the discipline of individual students under any circumstances. She went on to say discipline procedures are in the student handbooks and are consistent with Coldwater Board of Education policies which comply with current state laws regarding student discipline.
Page 23 of the Legg Middle School handbook says the following about weapons, “For purposes of this policy, a dangerous weapon is defined as “a firearm, dagger, dirk, stiletto, knife with a blade (3) inches or over in length, pocket knife opened by a mechanical device, iron bar, or brass knuckles” or other devices designed to or likely to inflict bodily harm, including, but not limited to, air guns and explosive devices, or other items intended for, or having the potential of use as a weapon”.
