... The Pinelands Regional School District, like so many other districts, has a zero-tolerance policy barring any ‘‘illegal or dangerous item, product or commodity’’ from its schools. So what do school officials do when they find an eighth-grader with a perfectly legal Alavert allergy tablet in his backpack?

Well, this district smacked the student with a five-day suspension. Never mind that it is virtually impossible to figure out how an over-the-counter allergy pill could be called illegal or even dangerous. ...

The ACLU is also involved this time — it’s suing the district on behalf of the student, who is now a freshmen at Pinelands Regional High School. ...

The suit contends the district’s zero-tolerance policy violates the student’s right to due process under state statutes, administrative regulations and the New Jersey Constitution. Zero-tolerance policies violate requirements that school officials must make case-by-case decisions in disciplinary matters that don’t involve weapons or assaults, the ACLU said.

School administrators are paid to exercise common sense and discretion. In fact, the exercise of discretion — that is, learning to understand distinctions and differences — is exactly what schools should be teaching students. ...