Enlighten me, because I truly don’t know. Even if a teacher today went to bat for a kid in such a situation, would that affect the punishment? Isn’t punishment an administrative matter? And don’t administrators cite “zero tolerance” as a rubber stamp reason that both kids get punished?
Zero tolerance. Teacher HAD to report finding a screwdriver bit (from a dismantled leatherman tool) in his backpack during an authorized search. It was determined this was a deadly weapon (no shit) brought upon school property with the intent to inflict bodily harm upon another student. Police were called, charges were filed by the DA, plea was copped, he has 6 months left before he is released from parole. There is backstory, of course, but it doesn’t strengthen the school’s case at all.
ETA: He was not brandishing the weapon, he had not stated any intent to harm anyone with the item, he was already part of a “maximum security” classroom due to a known and treated mental disorder but was, for a few hours, among the general population unsupervised–in violation, I think, of his IEP.
So glad YouTube didn’t exist when I was kid.
Ah. Good for Casey, then!
In the picture in the link posted second in the OP, there’s a picture of the little bully. He looks like a total douchebag.
It sucks that Casey was punished, but if his parents are in any way cool his suspension will be more like he’s being rewarded with a four day holiday.
The thing I like about this video is that it’s like the bully went out of the way to make himself unsympathetic. He’s surrounded by friends who are backing him up, it’s being filmed just for the sake of further embarrassing Casey later, the bully is jumping around like a tool - it’s a set up that, if you saw it in a movie, you’d think “Geeze, they’re laying it on a bit thick here”. Such undiluted schadenfreude is to be cherished.
AClockworkMelon: That is truly a quality video. The only thing that could make it better is… wait… is the guy wearing a t-shirt that says ‘tap out’ on it? Okay now it’s perfect.
Found this version, which replaces the actual body slam with an appropriate special effect. 
Posted on 3/15, so brand new, so it may get taken down too. You can search for other copies of it (and comments/tributes to the fat kid) by searching for his name, Casey Heynes.
So who decided the punishment? Not the teachers, right?
Well that’s the beauty of zero tolerance isn’t it? They can say they weren’t allowed to use judgment and so weren’t responsible for the kid ending up with a police record. Only they did when they decided 1.5 inches of dull metal was worthy of police intervention and expulsion. This is probably a hijack.
Contrapuntal’s point is that neither zero-tolerance policies nor enforcement of zero-tolerance policies nor punishment under zero-tolerance policies have anything to do with teachers. They are entirely the province of school boards and district and school administration.
I bite mine hard enough to send him to the ER for stitches and leave him with a scar.
I think the big kid’s technique was pretty sloppy, and he should have gone for the ground and pound after the slam, but otherwise have no problems with his actions. If it was my kid, we’d spend the four day suspension doing whatever the kid likes best…movies, gaming…whatever. Self defense is always authorized as far as I’m concerned. I can’t keep the school from imposing punishment, but I can and will make it clear that the school is free to kiss my ass over bullshit like this. If they’d done their damn jobs, the kid would not have had to defend himself in the first place.
I agree with Oakminster. I was bullied relentlessly in school and it wasn’t until I connected with a left hook one autumn afternoon that the bullying stopped. Up until then I was quoting Salvor Hardin (‘Violence is the last refuge of the incompetant’) and just running as fast as I could.
I still quote that valid statement but now I know that some folks only understand a bit of pain to understand civilized behavior.
Of course, if this had happened now, I would be in jail.
You gotta punish the big kid because them’s the rules. But, I bet much of the school, let alone much of the internet, thinks he is cooler than shit now.
I was thinking the same thing about Cassie’s stardom now. I’d bet he isn’t considered uncool or gets bullied anymore. These little turds probably did him a huge favor with their set up to embarrass and humiliate him further.
As far as the suspension, I agree it had to happen or after every fight someone could claim they were being bullied and were defending themselves. But I too hope his folks are taking him out for ice cream and go carts every day.
Well said.
I particularly liked the aftermath, when the larger kid started to go after the winner, who basically stood his ground and stared the guy down with a “you want some of this too, bitch?” sort of look.
I like the part where the bully tries to act like he didn’t just get his shit ruined. He picks up his hat like he’s just going to walk away but instead walks into the wall. 
I don’t know how things are in Australia, but I would advocate that Casey’s parents have the little shit with the blue backpack arrested for assault, and sue the school management to have Casey reinstated with no prejudice.
Zero Tolerance is bullshit.