On The Front Lines
Rutherford Institute Defends 14-Year-Old Honor Student Expelled for Shooting Plastic 'Spitwads' and Charged With Violent Criminal Assault
"I fought for my country and the rights of people here, and my family sacrificed right along with me. The actions of the school system are completely inconsistent with what I fought for. To come home after fighting for so long and see my own children being abused, I'm outraged."--Student's father, Andrew Mikel Sr., former Navy Seabee and Marine officer
SPOTSYLVANIA, Va.-- The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of a 14-year-old Virginia honor student expelled for the remainder of the school year under the school's zero tolerance policy and charged with "violent criminal conduct" and possession of a weapon for shooting plastic "spitwads." Andrew Mikel, a freshman at Spotsylvania High School, was cited by school officials for using the body of a pen to blow small, hollow plastic balls at fellow students. In addition to charging Mikel with criminal assault and possession of a weapon under the school's Student Code of Conduct, school officials also referred the matter to local law enforcement for criminal prosecution.
"What happened to Andrew Mikel is an example of how oppressive zero tolerance policies have become," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "School officials have developed a very dangerous mindset that allows virtually no freedom for students, while at the same time criminalizing childish behavior. This does not bode well for the future."
On December 10, 2010, ninth grader Andrew Mikel, a student at Spotsylvania High School, was sent to the principal's office after shooting a handful of small pellets akin to plastic spitwads at fellow students in the school hallway during lunch period. Mikel, an honor student active in Junior ROTC and in his church, was initially suspended for 10 days. However, the Spotsylvania County School Board later voted to expel Mikel for the remainder of the school year, allegedly on the recommendation of the school's assistant principal. School officials also referred the matter to local law enforcement, which initiated juvenile criminal proceedings for assault, resulting in Mikel being placed in a diversion program, as well as having to take substance abuse and anger management counseling. As a result of the criminal charges, Mikel, who had hoped to attend the U.S. Naval Academy following graduation from high school, can no longer be considered as an applicant. Mikel's father, a former Navy Seabee and Marine officer, who was awarded a meritorious service medal for solving the problem of "brown-out" for helicopters in Iraq (the sand caused static electricity that interfered with instruments during landing) credits his son with inspiring the solution. "I fought for my country and the rights of people here, and my family sacrificed right along with me," stated Mikel Sr. "The actions of the school system are completely inconsistent with what I fought for. To come home after fighting for so long and see my own children being abused, I'm outraged."
