Consider the words of Cape Elizabeth schools Superintendent Thomas Forcella, explaining why he has turned away the latest student to attempt to enter his high school: “There are a lot of uncertainties that surround this case. Even though it might be remote, there’s potential for some safety concerns for our students. … What I’m afraid about is what I don’t know.”

The unknown is whether 17-year-old Seiha Srey, the student who wants to attend Cape Elizabeth High School, is a murderer. For 19 months, he sat in a jail cell, awaiting police and prosecutors to attempt to prove he stabbed another teen-ager outside a restaurant in Portland two years ago.

Whether he is a killer remains for a court to figure out, but it doesn’t look good for prosecutors. They have found practically no cooperative witnesses for the case, save one jailed man who at first claimed Mr. Srey knifed the other teen, but who has substantively changed his story on multiple occasions.

In December, a judge made the almost unheard-of choice to release Mr. Srey without bail, practically passing summary judgment on the weakness of the state’s case.

That’s probably what led high school Principal Peter Dawson to tell students and parents earlier this month that he would attend the school, a fact that would not “in any way place the safety of our students in jeopardy.” But about 40 parents and residents complained to the schools, expressing concern especially for the fact that kindergarten students share a portion of the high school. In response, school officials blocked the boy’s attempt to attend the school, offering to pay for private tutoring instead.

When Mr. Srey and his guardian showed up at the school Monday, they were turned away — but, in an interesting twist, were welcomed by several students, who have circulated petitions to allow the boy to attend the school. He and his guardian say they plan to appeal his admittance ruling to the school board.

The fear Forcella voiced is just that — fear. It is not supported by fact and it is not rational, especially since a judge, intimately aware of the evidence against Mr. Srey, considers him not only safe to be on the streets, but not a flight risk, either.

The concerns of parents are understandable, especially since answers about what the teen did two years ago are few and far between. Yet the school’s obligation here is clear: They have no evidence that this student is dangerous, and they should treat him as they would any other whose behaviors need monitoring.

Seiha Srey belongs in school. While it would be reasonable to exercise added vigilance, going to school is a right, and a responsibility, that belongs to him and Cape Elizabeth both.