I have one of those "Hobo Tools" and it's a knife, fork and spoon, and not a spork.

That being said, and though it seems like a ridiculous punishment, ultimately the parents should have known about the rule and been aware of where the tool was kept and whether it was being taken to school. Those school policies are usually well known, and not in any hidden rule book in the basement and the parents obviously knew about the tool.

I took my Cub Scout Pocket Knife to school (similar though much lighter rules) when I was a child. My parents were not too happy about it, and my father held onto my pocket knife for two weeks because I broke the rules. Luckily, I was caught by my parents and not by anyone at the school.

Being a responsible adult means following the rules. Maybe he will grow up to be a responsible adult because he was caught and punished. Or perhaps he'll be an irresponsible adult because his parents are trying to get him out of the consequences of his actions and he'll be one of those adults who refuses to take responsibility for anything.