Another school gun threat...

[currupt4130]

What a bunch of idiots...

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95563

August 21, 2007
Chandler boy suspended after drawing gun on homework
By David Biscobing
Tribune


An East Valley eighth-grader was suspended this week after he turned in homework with a sketch that school officials said resembled a gun and posed a threat to his classmates. But parents of the 13-year-old, who attends Payne Junior High School in the Chandler Unified School District, said the drawing was a harmless doodle of a fake laser, and school officials overreacted.

"I just can believe that there wasn't another way to resolve this," said Paula Mosteller, the boy's mother. "He's so upset. The school made him feel like he committed a crime. They are doing more damage than good."

Payne Junior High officials did not allow the Tribune to view the drawing. The Mostellers said the drawing did not depict blood, injuries, bullets or any human targets. They said it was just a drawing that resembled a gun.

But Payne Junior High administrators determined that was enough to constitute a gun threat and gave the boy a five-day suspension that was later reduced to three days.

The Tribune isn't identifiying the boy at the request of his parents.

The suspension follows an unrelated incident earlier this month in which Gilbert police were called to Payne Junior High School to investigate a rumor of a girl bringing a gun on campus. No gun was found and a letter was sent home to parents.

In the letter, school officials told parents about the incident and indicated there would be a zero-tolerance policy toward gun threats.

Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said the school is not allowed to discuss students' discipline records. However, he said the sketch was "absolutely considered a threat," and threatening words or pictures are punished.

The school did not contact police about the threat and did not provide counseling or an evaluation to the boy to determine if he intended for the drawing as a threat.

The Mostellers said their son has no discipline record at the school because they just moved from Colorado this year.

The sketch was one of several drawings scratched in the margins of a science assignment that was turned in on Friday. The boy said he never meant for the picture to be seen as a threat. He said he was just drawing because he finished an assignment early.

School officials issued the suspension on Monday afternoon and notified the student's father, Ben. He met with school officials and persuaded them to shorten the suspension from five days to three.

A second student was also suspended Monday for a sketch on his homework. However, that student and his parents could not be reached for comment about the nature of that drawing.

Ben Mosteller was allowed to see his son's drawing at the school but was not permitted to make a copy to bring home to his wife.

Paula Mosteller said she has been unable to reach the school's principal, Karen Martin, or the vice principal, Dave Constance, since Monday to talk about the suspension. Martin and Constance did not return several phone calls to the school for comment.

When Ben Mosteller came to the school to discuss his son's punishment, he said school officials mentioned the seriousness of the issue and talked about the massacre at Columbine High School - the site where two teenagers shot and killed 12 students and injured 24 others in 1999 at Littleton, Colo.

The Mostellers said the Columbine reference was extreme and offensive. They have contacted the district's governing board about the incident.

"We understand that there was zero tolerance and the sketch could look like a gun, but the way this was handled was so horribly wrong," Paula Mosteller said. "Hopefully, when my son goes back to school on Friday this will all be behind him. But a school accusing a child like this can have a huge effect on a child for the rest of his life."

 

[TerryMason]

Maybe I'm missing something, but that just seems stupid.

 

[BaconYJ]

I like the windows on the side of that box and the teeth on the right hand edge. Not sure if i ever saw a gun or anything much like one in the picture.

 

[90Xjay]

thats one of the many reasons our kids don't go to government schools.

 

[southtj]

You can't even draw a picture at school? What was the threat?

 

[Wrangl3r93]

I've had this BS called on me before. A girl that had just cheated on my best friend was ragging my girlfriend and the teacher saw and went to the principal. The SRO of her school pulled her out of class, illegally searched her(she had no reason to search the victim of a bully right?), and found a text i had sent her saying that girls like her are scum and don't deserve to live with the rest of us. I understand if you are an idiot and really feel like ragging someone you can take that wrong but i in no way meant it as a threat, i never said it to the girl. I was pulled out of class my phone was searched and they searched my jeep(sad thing is i wasn't searched and i had my work knife on me), but after my school officials saw the text and my past record as an honor student with the only other thing on my record defending myself in a fight i didn't start they were like wtf?!? The other school's SRO and her mom were calling for my head, so my principals suspended me for 3 days(vacation!) and i still got 100% credit on all my work(appearances said my principals disciplined me but they were behind me). When i talked to her SRO she was trying to accuse me of being the spawn of satan making death threats, I told her to F%^$ off and get her head out of her a$$, that she was lucky i don't hold grudges or I'd take her to court for the illegal search of my girlfriend and my principal told her the same thing. Needless to say i got a 3 day vacation and never heard another word from the other school. Rant over, that principal should be stoned for impeding a student's learning... haha suspend me for that one why don't you

 

[Wrangl3r93]

I like the windows on the side of that box and the teeth on the right hand edge. Not sure if i ever saw a gun or anything much like one in the picture.

Turn it upside down it's a factory. Windows, smokestack, and all.

 

[Red Neckerson]

Pathetic. :x

 

[TwistedCU]

Guns don't kill people... Artist's renditions of guns kill people.

What a bunch of freaks!

 

[firemanharry]

I'd suggest a weeks worth of art class for that 8th grader. That's a pretty poor drawing.....of anything. :roll: