More about Ashley Smithwick

Here’s some video of the Lee County School Board meeting.

I am the guy with the ponytail, lower left, at 0:34.

Other details of the video to note. The first thing they show is a police report, charging Ashley with a Misdemeanor 1, Possession of Weapons on Educational Property﻿

Remember the actual law?

So what do you think? Does this knife fall under the exception “and tools used solely for preparation of food” shown above?

Read the next post on Ashley Smithwick

8 responses to “More about Ashley Smithwick

  1. That was my first thought as well. Seems like a pretty straight-forward exception to me! Let’s see how they spin it.

  2. If schools follow zero-tollerance and refuse to make judgment calls, why do we have administrators at all…or at least pay them anything above minimum wage, given their job seems about as sophisticated making change at McDonalds?

  3. Zero tolerance = Zero thinking

    They think it makes them look tough on crime (or on school children in this case) by taking the zero tolerance approach, but it just makes them into little tyrants. Do they think this will inspire respect amongst the student body?

  4. “So what do you think? Does this knife fall under the exception “and tools used solely for preparation of food” shown above?”

    Certainly it does. Has Mr. Smithwick used the paring knife for any purpose other than to prepare his food?

    Look Sean, I have seen Ashley Smithwick and heard her speak. I am confident she had no intent to use the paring knife for any reason, let alone for commission of a crime. She accidentally came to be in possession of a knife used for the preparation of food, and she has been very upfront and consistent about this.

    School Superintendent Jeff Moss, on the other hand, has been secretive, deceptive, and willfully misleading. An outcry arose because Ms. Smithwick was given a suspension whcih has been extended through the school year. Dr. Moss stated that report was in error, the student is still enrolled. In truth she is forbidden from returning to the campus.

    Dr. Moss has no credibility, has shown extremely poor judgment and should resign.

  5. I have not met or spoken to Ashley, but my view of Dr. Moss is the same as yours. He seemed an oily politician rather than a proper school leader.

    I plan on asking the DA how this knife fits the food prep exception

  6. I have some questions if by any chance you have or can get answers. I’m a thousand miles away but it would be interesting to get answers to questions like this:

    to the family:

    1) Has Ashley had trouble at the school previously? My teen girl has had her share of detentions so I don’t care about those, but if Ashley has been suspended before, it would help to know that, and for what reason.

    2) Has Ashley / her parents had previous run-ins with Dr. Moss? That might be related to discipline issues or might be separate, or even non-school related. The point is whether there is a history of animosity or trouble between the family and the superintendent. Ditto for run-ins with the principal.

    If Ashley has other issues they’re now going to come out, so the family had better be prepared.

    to the board:

    1) How many other students have been suspended this year, and for what reasons? Has any other student been suspended for the balance of the school year, and if so, why? The point is whether the board has a consistent policy (they could be consistently idiotic, of course). The number of and reasons for suspensions should be a matter of public record.

    2) what is the usual procedure for appealing a suspension? At what point is a family allowed to bring in legal counsel to appeal a suspension? The point is whether the board followed their own rules.

    3) what is the usual procedure for having a family release protected information about a student to the public? What forms, and what length of time does it take? Can the family authorize a selective release of information, and if so, how? I’ll bet this terrifies the board; if Ashley’s family can release just the information about the suspension without releasing (for example) her grades, it will show just how petty the board is.

    4) if Ashley shows up on school grounds, what would happen? Make the board clarify whether she’s banned or not.

    to the DA:

    1) is the bringing of a ‘weapon’ to high school a matter for the adult courts or the juvenile courts system? The point is how Ashley might be prosecuted and judged for a misdemeanor, assuming the DA goes forward. I assume NC has a juvenile courts system.

    2) at what point was the DA contacted by the school authorities about the ‘weapon’? I’d like to know if this occurred before or after the issue hit the general public. If the latter, it might be an effort to shut the family up — cooperate or your kid gets a criminal record.

    3) how many weapons charges have been referred by the school board the past five years, and how were they handled by the DA? That should be public information.

    Time to pin the board and the DA down.

  7. Can someone explain to me why we have “ABSOLUTELY ZERO TOLERANCE!!!” for kids bringing pairing knives to school (or pointing their fingers like a gun, or pulling a little girl’s pigtails), but we evidently have INFINITE tolerance for real frackin’ criminals that commit real crimes get turned right back into the community everyday? Or undocumented aliens who repeatedly cross the border illegally and don’t pay taxes or get drivers licenses, but we want to give them a “path to citizenship”? Where’s the ZERO TOLERANCE demands for that crap?

  8. Pyrotek85 said…
    Zero tolerance = Zero thinking

    I guess you must be talking about yourself. You don’t know anything about Ashley or what she does so for you to sit here and bash lee county about their policy when you don’t live here is the stupidest thing ever. I know her and know what she does and for you to sit here and think that she’s all sweet and innocent makes you look like a jackass.