Supreme Court Ruling Could Limit School Discipline Policies

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) -  The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a decision by the State Court of Appeals in a ruling that could impact school disciplinary policies throughout the state. It involves the expulsion of a student from a southern Minnesota high school two years ago.

The United South Central School District had asked the High Court to overturn the appellate court decision in favor of Alyssa Drescher. The justices found the school district improperly expelled the young woman after she inadvertently brought a pocket knife to school because there was no proof that she “deliberately and intentionally” violated the district’s weapons policy and the presence of the pocket knife in her locker did not put her or others “into danger or peril of probable harm or loss.”

Drescher, who ended up moving to another school system following her expulsion for the final six weeks of her junior year in high school, testified that she left the knife in her purse after helping with chores at her boyfriend’s farm and then forgot about it when she reported to school the following day.