St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a young woman who was expelled from her southern Minnesota high school last year after a pocket knife was found in her purse.

Alyssa Drescher 17-years-old and an honor student at United South Central High School in Wells when the small knife was discovered during a search of her locker as part of a random search for drugs or other contraband. Drescher explained that she had forgotten to remove the pocket knife after she used it to help with chores on her boyfriend’s farm.

She received a six-week expulsion for violating the school district’s “zero tolerance” weapons policy and the punishment was upheld by the Minnesota Department of Education in a case that attracted national attention.

Drescher’s family then sued the school district and the State Education Department because they feared the expulsion might limit her education and employment opportunities. In ruling in their favor, the Court of Appeals found the United South Central School Board failed to provide evidence to support its decision that Drescher engaged in willful conduct that endangered herself or others.

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