Zero tolerance means precisely that: zero tolerance—even for a student who had a very good reason to pick a fight with the school bully.

A student at Huntington Beach High School in California has been widely celebrated all over the internet for protecting a fellow student—a blind teenager—from a bully’s violent assault. Video footage of the incident—courtesy of The Daily Mail—clearly shows the bully repeatedly punching the defenseless blind teen in the face until the third student walks up and knocks out the bully with a single punch. The intervener then assists the blind teen in escaping to safety.

Police later arrested the bully (he is unnamed in news reports, as is his victim, and the hero). I’ve argued that schools should not involve the cops in minor disciplinary issues, but the bully’s actions look to me like they crossed a line. This was not a trivial scrap, and it wasn’t a fair fight. The bully aimed for his defenseless opponent’s face. The cops want to charge him with misdemeanor battery, and it’s hard to disagree with that decision.

The other student—the rescuer—will also be punished, since violent behavior is prohibited in all circumstances, even when it is necessary to protect the well-being of another student.

The school suspended the student from the football team, and are investigating the incident to determine whether harsher measures are warranted. Meanwhile, the kid’s supporters have started a petition to convince the district to reconsider.

Read the article “Teen Kicked Off Football Team Because He Protected a Blind Kid from a Bully” on reason.com.