Teen hunter vindicated

Gary Tudesko may not be a model student, but the Glenn County Board of Education is giving the 17-year-old another shot at completing his high-school education in the classroom.

The Willows Unified School District expelled Tudesko in November for having two unloaded shotguns inside of his locked truck parked just outside of school grounds. He had been duck hunting that morning before classes and drove straight to school.

The expulsion caught the attention of national media outlets, and a couple of prominent special-interest groups who parachuted into the area to support the embattled student’s appeal. Attorneys for the National Rifle Association and the California Rifle and Pistol Association rallied, and on Friday (Jan. 22) the board ordered the school to re-enroll Tudesko.

That decision occurred after school officials revealed portions of Tudesko’s academic and disciplinary record, including several suspensions, poor grades and behavioral issues such as using a racial slur.