Auburn School District allows religious dagger; ‘our schools have gone insane’

The Auburn School District is permitting a boy at Gildo Rey Elementary to bring a dagger to school for religious reasons.

The district says it’s an exception to its zero-tolerance policy for weapons. The knife, called a Kirpan, is considered an instrument of social justice in the Sikh faith.

KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson can’t believe the district is bending the rules.

“If you leave a butter knife in your son or daughter’s lunch bag, they get expelled – they get kicked out of school,” Dori said. “But this kid is going to be able to bring a sword into the classroom?”

Assistant Superintendent Ryan Foster tells KING the Kirpan is to remain under the boy’s clothes at all times.

“Wait a second? So if it’s under their clothing, it doesn’t jeopardize anyone’s feeling of safety?” Dori said.

He recalled a student who remembered she had a pocketknife in her purse at a high school football game and self-reported, but she got expelled. Also, a student was expelled for a hunting knife found in his dad’s truck in the school parking lot.

Dori said he’s not arguing against the kid bringing a knife to Gildo Rey Elementary, but the zero tolerance for every other kid.

“When you expel kids for leaving a folding knife in their purse and self reporting it at a high school football game, but you let the Sikh kid bring a dagger into the classroom every day, I would say political correctness has gotten completely out of control. Our schools have gone insane.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.