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Burrell: Pipe bomb suspects could be suspendedBy Lisa Majors-Duff |
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New charges alleged against teenaged suspects in two pipe bomb explosions near Sylva may require their suspension from school.
Jackson County's Board of Education was to have met in a special session Wednesday to determine if the six Smoky Mountain High School students charged with detonating pipe bombs on school property should be suspended for up to 365 days. Those charged are Joshua Earl Haddock, Peter Thomas "P.T." Parker, Matthew Wayne Breedlove and Travis Shane Shepard, all 17 years of ages and all listing Sylva addresses; and Jennifer Parker, 17, of Cullowhee. All are members of the senior class of 2000. A sixth SMHS student's name was not released due to his status as a minor. Criminal charges against him will be handled through the juvenile justice system. The seventh defendent, Andrew Joseph MacRae, 17, of Whittier, is a student at Southwestern Community College. All seven were charged this week with one count each of possession of a weapon on school property, with the exception of P.T. Parker, who will face three counts of the same charge. Wednesday's meeting was called to discuss how state statutes that address possession of a weapon on school property apply to the Smoky Mountain High students. "We'll try to follow the law," Superintendent Frank Burrell said Monday. "School board members will discuss what the law requires them to do with the six Smoky Mountain students." The meeting will be in closed session, Burrell said, because of student confidentiality issues. The board will make an announcement concerning its decision at the meeting's conclusion, though students will not be named. Students, their parents and representatives were to have had 30 minutes each to present their case to Burrell and SMHS Principal Ken Henke during the day Wednesday, Henke said. The superintendent and principal will then make recommendations concerning each student to the school board. "I wish it had been something we didn't have to deal with," the superintendent said. "I have no desire to destroy children's lives." A reading of state statutes that govern the possession of weapons on school property indicates that year-long suspensions are required in such cases. "A local board of education or superintendent shall suspend for 365 calendar days any student who brings onto educational property... a weapon," the law reads. However, another portion of the statute provides an opportunity for some flexibility on the part of the superintendent and board. Upon the recommendation of the superintendent, a local board may modify the suspension requirement on a case-by-case basis and may provide educational services to suspended students in an alternative setting, statutes say. Law enforcement personnel investigating the case say pipe bombs were exploded in portable toilets on the new Scotts Creek school construction site Dec. 3 and 11. The force of the blasts could be felt up to 125 feet away. Efforts are being made to discover where the materials for the bombs were purchased, including the pipes and Piredex, a form of gun powder. In addition to the latest charges, the seven suspects face charges of possession of weapons of mass destruction, malicious property destruction and conspiracy. Associate Editor Lynn Hotaling and Assistant Editor Carey Phillips contributed to this report. |
Matt Breedlove
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Josh Haddock |
Jennifer Parker
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Peter Parker |
Travis Shephard |
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