No, this is not the Nicholas Heath who was England's Lord Chancellor in the 1500s and was for a time a victim of his own politics, but third-grader Nicholas Heath of King William County, VA.
Young Mr. Heath was suspended from school in 2004 and threatened with having to attend disciplinary classes for a year after a butter knife was found in his lunch along with his peanut and butter sandwich. The offending butter knife was mistakenly left there by his mom.
School officials were enforcing a new zero-tolerance policy as regards dangerous weapons, but most onlookers thought the school administrators were using no more judgment than a goat in coming down so hard on a small boy who clearly meant no harm.
Officials soon bowed to pressure and rescinded young Nicholas' suspension. No lasting harm was done, except perhaps to the reputation of school officials everywhere.
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