BHS student expelled for keeping knife in his locker

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Nov. 2, 1999

By Devlyn Brooks

The Bemidji School Board expelled a Bemidji High School student Monday at a regularly scheduled workshop.

The school district's Director of Services Jon Huttemier said the student was expelled for keeping a knife in his locker.

He added that someone reported that the student had alcohol in his locker, and when it was checked, the knife was found. No alcohol was found.

The student will be expelled for the remainder of this semester and be allowed back into school in the next semester starting in January.

According to Huttemier, the student as the right to appeal his expulsion to the state.

The board voted unanimously 6-0 to expel the student.

He was the fourth student expelled from the Bemidji School District this academic year. Two girls and a boy -- all Bemidji Middle School students -- were expelled in early October.

The boy was expelled for issuing terroristic threats in school last spring, and the two girls were expelled for separate assaults.

Huttemier said the district has expelled about five students each of the past two years.

In addition to expelling the student Monday, School Board Chairwoman Nancy Eubanks issued a warning to students who will be hunting this month.

"Don't bring weapons to school, especially in this hunting time," she said. "Don't forget a gun in a bag or in your car."

Eubanks added that if a student should forget and bring a knife to school, they are allowed to turn it into a staff member. If they do so immediately, they will not face disciplinary action, according to school policy.

The policy, however, does not apply to guns.