NY Eagle Scout Suspended For Keeping Knife In Car

An Eagle Scout who kept a 2-inch pocketknife in his car has been suspended from his upstate New York high school for bringing the weapon onto school grounds. Now he is concerned about his chances of getting accepted to West Point.

Matthew Whalen was suspended for 20 days for violating the Lansingburgh Central School District's zero-tolerance policy. The 17-year-old senior says he gave the knife to an administrator last month after another student told officials about it.

Whalen says the knife was a gift from his grandfather, the police chief in a nearby village. He says he kept survival items in his car in case of an emergency.

Whalen says he's been wanting to go to West Point for years but now worries about his chances.

District officials say they don't comment on student disciplinary matters.