Virginia Sixth-Grader Stops Friend From ‘Cutting’ And Gets Suspended For Violating Zero Tolerance Policy

A Virginia sixth-grader managed to talk a friend out of cutting his arm with a razor blade and school, and got a 10-day suspension for her good deed. Since no teachers were around when the incident happened, Adrionna Harris threw the razor blade in the trash, not wanting to carry it around the school. Bayside Middle School officials decided the student had violated the district’s zero tolerance policy and punished her for her actions.

Adrionna Harris viewed the cutting incident at Bayside Middle School as an emergency, so she did not hesitate to get the razor blade away from her classmate. The Virginia school’s “no weapons” policy apparently does not leave room for any type of common sense exception. “I took the razor blade and then threw it away immediately, I didn’t carry it around the school. I didn’t use it against anyone I threw it away,” Harris told local WAVY News.
Rachel Harris, Adrionna’s mother, was also “shocked and surprised” that Bayside Middle School would suspend a student for attempting to save another child.

The upset mother had this to say about the school’s response to the cutting incident:

“The school system overreached absolutely. I felt she did the right thing. Under the circumstances, she thought he would bleed out, as he was cutting himself, and there was no teacher in sight. It was a 911 situation and there wasn’t time to find a teacher.”

Once Bayside Middle School officials were questioned about the incident by WAVY, Harris said a change in Adrionna’s suspension might be realized. Since the news media became involved in the case, the Harris’ family has reportedly been garnering a response from administrators about the suspension. Adrionna’s family has requested a “clarification and a reasonable response” to the sixth-grader’s actions. “It’s amazing. They are listening to us now, she should be back in school tomorrow and that would be fair,” Rachel Harris said.

The Bayside Middle School student said she would do it all over again, even if she got into trouble. “It [punishment] didn’t matter because I was helping him. I would do it again even if I got suspended,” Adroinna said.

Do you think the school should have suspended the sixth-grader who stopped a classmate from cutting himself?

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