Police Called After Girl, 15, Refuses To Surrender Knife At School

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A 15-year-old girl will face an aggravated assault charge after refusing to relinquish a knife at Oliver High School this morning.

According to officials, the student walked into the staff lounge this morning, saw a small steak knife, grabbed it and walked out around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Staff members were in the lounge at the time and told her to hand over the knife, which the girl refused.

However, the girl did give the knife to a teacher when the school's police officer arrived.

"The teachers are always the first ones to run towards a problem; that's what I love about our teachers," said Nina Esposito-Visgitis, the president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teacher.

Oliver High School is where Pittsburgh Public Schools send students who are dealing with behavioral issues. Esposito-Visgitis says the teachers there are special.

"These are people who are well trained," she said. "They work for it; they work together. No other place have I seen the teamwork that I see at Oliver city wide, because people have a heart for that. They have a desire to work with the kinds of kids who go there. They love those kids."

The girl did not threaten to harm anyone with the knife and was taken home.

The school day at Oliver continued uninterrupted. No students were ever anywhere near the incident.

The teen will be charged with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct in juvenile court because the staff felt threatened when she refused to turn over the knife.

The school system will decide what disciplinary action will be taken.

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