A student at Elkmont High School has been accused by several witnesses of having a knife during a school-sponsored event in Montgomery and making threats against another student.

A reader called The News Courier to question why the student was being allowed go on a spring break trip and had not immediately been punished.

Principal Mickey Glass said the incident is under investigation and punishment has not been determined.

We do not know details of the case, but we wonder whether it should take more than a week to question witnesses and determine whether the allegations are true.

We also believe, in an era where school violence is too commonplace, it is best to err on the side of caution.

In a separate recent case, parents voiced disapproval of Athens City Board of Education members for barring a student accused — but not convicted — of shoplifting from taking part in extracurricular activities. Athens board members reminded parents extracurricular activities are a privilege, not a right.

The Elkmont student is accused of a much more dangerous crime but was allowed to go out of town on a school-sanctioned activity — which the student he allegedly threatened also attended.

The Limestone school system policy includes a zero-tolerance rule for all weapons and mandates immediate expulsion for students found with firearms but allows for other, lesser punishments for possession of other weapons such as knives. The policy includes possession of weapons at school activities that occur off campus.

Because the policy states the system has zero tolerance for possession of any type of weapon, administrators should have been able to more quickly make a determination in this case. If the student was proven to have the weapon, punishment should have been immediate and should have included being prohibited from the spring break trip.

While zero tolerance rules are sometimes taken to extremes, such as the case of a Connecticut student who recently was suspended for buying a package of Skittles as school, possession of weapons is one area in which administrators must take a firm stand — for the safety of all our students.