Good thing the kid didn’t have a bo staff.
griffen2 is right: this is the stupidest things I’ve heard heard as well. WTF? is not strong enough. The questions that arise are mind boggling, since the stupidity here must be replicated in so many places in that school one can hardly understand how it could function at all as a school.
People that blindingly stupid/crazy (in this case: the teacher, principal, and any else involved who failed to point it out) are usually muttering on street corners.
In retrospect, I do think furlibusea has a point.
No one could be as stupid as the story in the OP makes the teacher/principal sound, and still have that job. Could they?
But the OP does report the rubberband as a weapon comparable to firearms, knives, etc. If true, stupidity is too kind of an adjective.
I’d just like to point out the irony of Odinoneeye speaking up for a kid who almost* poked an eye out.
*for very small values of almost.