Any student who makes a threat, even if in a joking manner, must be disciplined. But with 50 school suspensions in the past six weeks, many meted out to children in kindergarten to third grade, parents and school officials are taking another look at the policies. Lines can be drawn solidly at zero tolerance for any hardware brought to school. But when it comes to words, more-sophisticated judgment has to come into play. Seattle schools have a zero-tolerance policy for weapons.
Verbal threats spur some response, but there is no absolute discipline or specific punishment.
Common sense is applied. As time goes on, districts across the country will have to talk about the limits of zero tolerance. Schools must take all threats seriously but they also need to temper the punishments with a smidgen of common sense.