Anti Federalist
11-19-2014, 11:00 PM
Fifth-grader suspended for pointing imaginary gun: his hand
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/19/fifth-grader-suspended-for-pointing-imaginary-gun-his-hand/I7MqowzO5yEP5yb4IFXemN/story.html?p1=Article_InThisSection_Bottom
MILFORD — On Friday, Milford fifth-grader Nickolas Taylor was in line for lunch, just a few hours from the weekend.
But like most 10-year-old boys bursting with energy, he didn’t wait quietly. Instead, he played a solo game of shoot-em-up to pass the time, pointing his index finger like a ray gun and making “pew-pew” sounds.
As he battled his imaginary foes, he passed two girls in the lunch line. They told the assistant principal, according to Nickolas’s father, Brian Taylor. Later that day, the principal told the boy he was being suspended for two days for making a threat.
Upset over the suspension, Brian Taylor, 40, said he went to the school Monday morning to meet with the assistant principal in hopes of explaining it was just “innocent playing.” But the official said Nickolas had pointed at the girls, which amounted to a threat.
“He just kept saying it was against policy,” the father said in an interview Wednesday at his Milford home. “He wouldn’t see the common sense.”
Taylor said he understood that schools were on heightened alert these days to any perceived threats or potential bullying, but he said the suspension was an extreme overreaction.
“He wasn’t pointing at anyone in particular,” he said. “He was just playing. There were other ways they could have handled it.”
Taylor said his son had never gotten in serious trouble before, and that he was confused by the punishment.
“He didn’t really understand why” he was suspended, Taylor said.
Taylor said he thought the girls must have been annoyed that his son cut in front of them, and he was surprised school officials didn’t simply tell Nickolas not to do it again.
Nickolas loves video games like Minecraft and told him that all the boys play pretend shooting games at recess, shouting laser-like sounds as they chase each other
Nickolas has ADHD, which can affect his schoolwork, his father said. But he is a solid student and generally enjoys school.
Taylor was upset over what he considered an unfair punishment — and a regrettable sign of the times. So he called the local newspaper, which published a story on the incident Tuesday.
Taylor kept his son out of school again on Wednesday. Nickolas has had a bit of a cold, and his father thought it best to give him another day. Taylor said he was also thinking about removing him from school entirely and home-schooling him. Taylor said he’s filling out the paperwork.
“I feel they overstepped their authority “ he said
School officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/19/fifth-grader-suspended-for-pointing-imaginary-gun-his-hand/I7MqowzO5yEP5yb4IFXemN/story.html?p1=Article_InThisSection_Bottom
MILFORD — On Friday, Milford fifth-grader Nickolas Taylor was in line for lunch, just a few hours from the weekend.
But like most 10-year-old boys bursting with energy, he didn’t wait quietly. Instead, he played a solo game of shoot-em-up to pass the time, pointing his index finger like a ray gun and making “pew-pew” sounds.
As he battled his imaginary foes, he passed two girls in the lunch line. They told the assistant principal, according to Nickolas’s father, Brian Taylor. Later that day, the principal told the boy he was being suspended for two days for making a threat.
Upset over the suspension, Brian Taylor, 40, said he went to the school Monday morning to meet with the assistant principal in hopes of explaining it was just “innocent playing.” But the official said Nickolas had pointed at the girls, which amounted to a threat.
“He just kept saying it was against policy,” the father said in an interview Wednesday at his Milford home. “He wouldn’t see the common sense.”
Taylor said he understood that schools were on heightened alert these days to any perceived threats or potential bullying, but he said the suspension was an extreme overreaction.
“He wasn’t pointing at anyone in particular,” he said. “He was just playing. There were other ways they could have handled it.”
Taylor said his son had never gotten in serious trouble before, and that he was confused by the punishment.
“He didn’t really understand why” he was suspended, Taylor said.
Taylor said he thought the girls must have been annoyed that his son cut in front of them, and he was surprised school officials didn’t simply tell Nickolas not to do it again.
Nickolas loves video games like Minecraft and told him that all the boys play pretend shooting games at recess, shouting laser-like sounds as they chase each other
Nickolas has ADHD, which can affect his schoolwork, his father said. But he is a solid student and generally enjoys school.
Taylor was upset over what he considered an unfair punishment — and a regrettable sign of the times. So he called the local newspaper, which published a story on the incident Tuesday.
Taylor kept his son out of school again on Wednesday. Nickolas has had a bit of a cold, and his father thought it best to give him another day. Taylor said he was also thinking about removing him from school entirely and home-schooling him. Taylor said he’s filling out the paperwork.
“I feel they overstepped their authority “ he said
School officials could not immediately be reached for comment.