NRA backs Willows student expelled for carrying gun in truck

[The Straight Story]

NRA backs Willows student expelled for carrying gun in truck

WILLOWS, CA - A 17-year-old Willows student will have the National Rifle Association behind him when he appeals his expulsion from school for having a shotgun in his pick-up truck.

Like many youngsters his age, Gary Tudesko likes to hunt. "I hunt ducks, geese, all types of waterfowl," said Tudesko.

But last October, his recreational pursuits landed him in trouble at Willows High School.

"I went hunting before school, me and my friend, and I didn't want to be late so I parked off campus at my school," Tudesko said.

Tudesko was in class when he was called to the principal's office. He soon learned why.

"They brought in a private sniffing dog and it alerted on my truck and they found the guns," Tudesko said. The weapons belonged to Tudesko and his friend.

Claiming he was a danger to himself and other students, Tudesko was suspended and eventually handed a year-long expulsion.

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=73348&catid=2

[rcrush]

1. What does "Parked off campus at my school" mean?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

2. It means he didn't park on school property.

[derby378]

3. Off campus, but still within a "school safety zone"

And in California, any vehicle parked in that "safety zone," student transportation or not, is apparently subject to police search.

[Wickerman]

He parked off campus, on a City street n/t

[The Straight Story]

4. I would guess

That it means he parked near his school but not on school grounds.

At any rate, I feel safer now. Here we had someone who did not take their gun into school, and they are getting nailed for it....

Next up - own a gun and go to school, you get suspended.

[Dr. Strange]

5. If he didn't want his truck searched, he should have parked off-campus.

Oh wait, no, scratch that.
I mean, he should have parked in a different zip code.

[rcrush]

6. So the school gets to search students cars even if they aren't on campus?

The police even told the kids mom he didnt do anything wrong but they brought in a dog anyway.

[aikoaiko]

7. from a commonsense point of view -- the student's expulsion seems like an overreaction.

But I'm sure there are many small technicalities of the law that will come into play, possibly, such as the age one can possess a weapon without supevision, gun storage laws, probable cause for bring in the dogs and searching, gun-school zones, school policy, etc.

I need more facts and a better understanding of CA law (which is weird) to make a judgment.

[Lurks Often]

8. What the hell

Where is the probable cause to bring in the dogs?

If the police did not perform the search of the vehicle, what gives the school the right to break into a vehicle parked off school property?

What happened to the kid's 4th Amendment rights?

Since the police and the DA have declined to press charges, I see the school losing the lawsuit, hopefully in a big way and with a little luck the school authorities that made this decision will find themselves unemployed.