Have you ever wondered why schools don’t let you bring fake weapons on Halloween? The school policy states that if a student purposely brings in any weapon, such as a cutting instrument, cutting tool, firearm, shotgun, rifle or any other instrument capable of causing any serious injury, they are to be removed from the school for no less than a year. Even a replica of a weapon that could threaten people is banned. This policy was made January 1, 1996. 

In November 2024, Freedom Area Middle School had an incident where a student brought in a weapon. This is an ongoing issue in many schools. 

“Students do take the situation seriously. They realize there are consequences,” Jeff Griffith, the Freedom Area Middle School principal, said. 

The event happened in 2024 when a student brought a knife onto school grounds. They started showing it to other kids. When rumor spread that there was a weapon in school, the administration started an investigation. Once the administration found that the pocket knife was hidden in a pen, they removed the student from the school. Not only is it against school policy, but it is against the Pennsylvania school law. 

During the search, parents received voicemails from Mr. Griffith about the situation. The first voicemail was about how the rumor started and how it was determined to be untrue. The second was about how after further investigation, they found the weapon, and proper action was taken. 

We, as students of Freedom Area Middle School, along with the staff, owe it to each other to follow school policies and keep everyone safe.