Federal Judge Draws the Line On District's Zero-Tolerance Policy

Federal Judge Draws the Line on District's Zero-Tolerance Policy: School districts' zero-tolerance policies on weapons, drugs, and alcohol may be running into limitations under the U.S. Constitution.

A federal district judge in Tennessee ruled last month that a school board went too far when it expelled a high school student for having a knife in his car. The evidence showed the student was not aware of the weapon, the judge noted.

"Zero hour has indeed arrived for the zero-tolerance policy," U.S. District Judge James H. Jarvis of Knoxville said in his ruling. "This is, in the court's opinion, an appropriate case to draw the line as to what extent students must be responsible for what is present in their...