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CNN Live At Daybreak
Zero Tolerance: Wearing Your Weapons to the Prom
Aired July 11, 2001 - 07:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, there may be a sharp reprimand for a 16-year-old senior in Holt, Michigan who tried to replace a prom tuxedo with a bit of Scottish tradition. Holt High School thought the traditional highlander kilt that Jeremy Hix -- as you see now -- well, that he chose was fine. But the knife that's part of the outfit is considered a lethal weapon and violates the school's zero-tolerance policy.
Well, Jeremy joins us this morning from Lansing, Michigan.
Good morning, Jeremy.
JEREMY HIX, STUDENT, HOLT HIGH SCHOOL: Good morning.
LIN: It's a good chance to see what it is that you wore to the prom.
Where is the knife? Who has it now?
HIX: The school board actually has the knife right now. They confiscated it from me at the prom May 19. And I haven't seen it yet.
LIN: What exactly happened that night?
HIX: I went to the prom with some of my friends. And we were there for about an hour and a half to two hours just having a good time. And a parent chaperone noticed that I had the Skean Dhu in my sock and asked me to give it to him.
So, of course, I, in turn, gave it to him. And he gave it to the assistant principal.
LIN: Well, they're calling it a lethal weapon. What does this knife look like?
HIX: It's not actually considered a weapon. They consider it to be a dangerous weapon because it has a blade that's over 3 inches long -- actually, 3.25 inches long to be exact.
The Skean Dhu is an item of clothing used for the traditional highland wear. And it's not actually considered to be a weapon. But as I stated it, it does have a blade over 3 inches long. And it's therefore considered to be a dangerous weapon.
LIN: Jeremy, did you know about the school's zero-tolerance policy towards weapons?
HIX: I knew that there was a zero-tolerance policy, but I never knew exactly to what caliber it was. And I did not know that it constituted a dangerous weapon as a knife that had a blade over 3 inches long.
LIN: Why not have saved yourself all of this trouble and all of this aggravation and just worn a tux?
HIX: Because the Scottish is in me. It's part of my heritage. And I'm very proud of my heritage, of course. And the Scottish regalia that I now wear was put together by my mother and I over the past four years. And it's become an agreement between the both of us that I would wear it to formal occasions instead of renting or buying a tuxedo.
LIN: But, Jeremy, they're talking about expelling you. And, as I understand, the way the rules work, you would be disqualified from attending any other Michigan public school. Is this really worth it?
HIX: It's definitely worth it. I would not have -- if I could do it again, I still would have worn the Skean Dhu because the Scottish regalia is not complete without that essential part of the outfit.
LIN: Well, this perhaps is a lesson about being true to yourself. It'll be interesting to see what the school board does tonight. CNN did ask for a response this morning from the school board. They declined. So we'll follow your story overnight.
Jeremy Hix, Holt, Michigan -- and the Scottish in him.
HIX: Thank you.
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