A Middleburgh high school student was suspended after an altercation on a school bus Wednesday afternoon in which the student hit a middle school student and allegedly threatened bus riders with a pocket knife.
No students were injured in the incident, said MCS officials. School district officials and the county Sheriff's office were notified immediately after the incident.
The incident, officials said, "was a clear violation of our code of conduct" and was handled according to district disciplinary policies. Those policies state that committing physical violence, possessing a weapon, displaying what appears to be a weapon or threatening the use of a weapon are violations that result in an immediate five-day out-of-school suspension and further disciplinary action will be considered through the superintendent's hearing process.
All students who witnessed the incident have met individually with their school principals and guidance staff and statements were taken, officials said. Students' concerns were heard and they were offered emotional support.
Ongoing counseling will be available through the guidance offices.
Officials said student safety is a top priority and the district will continue to "maintain and enforce our zero-tolerance policy prohibiting weapons of any sort from being brought into our schools, onto school vehicles and/or to school sponsored events."