School bans boy over Scottish knife at dance

A high school student in Michigan was told yesterday he could not return to class until after Christmas because the traditional Highland costume he wore to the end-of-year prom in May included the traditional knife in his sock.

A high school student in Michigan was told yesterday he could not return to class until after Christmas because the traditional Highland costume he wore to the end-of-year prom in May included the traditional knife in his sock.

Although 16-year-old Jeremy Hix said he wore the three-inch skean dhu for decoration and harboured no malicious intent, he fell foul of state law and policy at Holt High concerning offensive weapons on school premises. Like many schools in America, Holt High is on alert after a rash of shootings across the country left dozens of teenagers dead or wounded.

After two months of legal wrangling, the boy narrowly escaped being expelled. He will still be able to attend social functions during the autumn term and will have his school privileges reinstated in January. The suspension will not be entered into his school record.

He is said to be one of the brighter students at Holt High, outside the state capital Lansing, played bagpipes for a hobby and spent two years constructing the traditional Scottish costume with his mother.

His get-up for the prom included a kilt, sporran and feathered cap as well as the offending knife. "It really didn't enter my mind that it was a knife and we should be worried,'' said his mother, Colleent.

After a school chaperone spotted the knife, the boy was told to leave and stay away from classes for the last few days of the year. Usually, bringing a knife to school would incur a minimum 180-day suspension under Michigan law.