Prepared Eagle Scout suspended over knife

Published: Oct. 10, 2009 at 3:07 PM

LANSINGBURGH, N.Y., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A 17-year-old Eagle Scout in Lansingburgh, N.Y., says he was suspended from school for a knife he kept in his car for emergency situations.

Lansingburgh Senior High School student Matthew Whalen said he was suspended for 20 days under the school district's Codes of Conduct when school officials learned of the 2-inch pocket knife in his car, WTEN-TV in Albany, N.Y., reported Thursday.

"My car is designed in a way that if I ever broke down, I'd be OK," Whalen said.

The school suspension last month is a rare negative mark against Whalen, who has completed Army basic training as part of his goal of attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Whalen is also on the honor roll and was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America and the city of Troy for saving a woman's life last summer.

Whalen's father, Bryan, told WTEN he was upset to learn of his son's punishment.

"I want him to have fair treatment based on his character," the elder Whalen said. "It just totally baffles me that they would go after this when they have much bigger fish to fry."

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints


Additional News Stories
Soderling first through to ATP semifinals (4 min)
UPI NewsTrack Health and Science News (24 min)
U.S., Japan to sign 'open skies' agreement (31 min)
UPI NewsTrack Business (48 min)
Crude oil prices rebound slightly (56 min)
'Galaxy game' lets people help astronomers (57 min)
UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News
fark
Photoshop this guy in reflective shades
Suing Activision over World of Warcraft? Don't forget to subpoena Depeche Mode and Winona Rider,...
Hannity: This is one of the coldest years on record, so global warming is a hoax. Science: This...
Spotted cow removed from Mad River in NY. The image in your mind's eye is wrong
This is why you can't have nice things, America: "rather than a retelling of the Nativity story...
Canadian judge rules that the Happy Gilmore golf swing is wrong, biatch