Teen Jack Persyn suspended after unknowingly bringing knife to school

A Gwinnett County seventh grader who mistakenly brought a pocket knife to school was suspended.

Jack Persyn, 13, attends Lanier Middle School off of Suwanee Dam Road.

His father, Bill Persyn, told Channel 2 Action News his son found the knife while showing a friend in his chess club a bag his aunt gave him for Christmas.

Persyn said the boy's aunt bought the camouflage bag at a yard sale.

"He is a very good child. We've never had a discipline problem with him, he is in Boy Scouts, he is very good natured," Persyn said.

Persyn told Channel 2's Erica Byfield his son immediately gave the knife to his teacher. An administrator later gave the 13-year-old a four-day, in-house suspension.

"We always support the school policies and I could really not support this because he did the right thing," Persyn said.

"I was totally perplexed, I asked her 'Is this policy for y'all?' and she said 'Yes,'" the boy's mother, Angie Persyn, said.

A spokesman for Gwinnett County schools, Jorge Quintana, said the administrators followed the district's policy.

"We try to do what is best for the school overall with what is best for the child," Quintana said.

On Monday, The Persyns said Byfield district administrators told them they may revise the district's discipline policy and have decided to reduce their son's punishment to a two-day, in-house suspension.

"We honestly did not believe anything would be done," Angie Persyn said.

The teen's parents have also asked their son's record expunged.