Ariz. school suspends boy for sketching gun

[Zguy28]

Ariz. school suspends boy for sketching gun

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-22-ariz-suspension_N.htm?csp=34

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — School officials suspended a 13-year-old boy for sketching what looked like a gun, saying the action posed a threat to his classmates.

The boy's parents said the drawing was a harmless doodle and school officials overreacted.

"The school made him feel like he committed a crime. They are doing more damage than good," said the boy's mother, Paula Mosteller.

The drawing did not show blood, bullets, injuries or target any human, the parents said. And the East Valley Tribune reported that the boy said he didn't intend for the picture to be a threat.

Administrators of Payne Junior High in nearby Chandler suspended the boy on Monday for five days but later reduced it to three days.

The boy's father, Ben Mosteller, said that when he went to the school to discuss his son's punishment, school officials mentioned the seriousness of the issue and talked about the massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot and killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves in 1999. Mosteller said he was offended by the reference.

Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said the crude sketch was "absolutely considered a threat," and that threatening words or pictures are punishable.

What the heck is this nation coming to? I've seen some serious overreaction by school officials in the last few years, but this is just ludicrous.

The kid drew a doodle of a gun. Not shooting people. Not pointing at people. Just the gun itself. Now he's a threat.

Good gracious, I use to draw pictures of military helicopters and tanks blowing people up and stuff as a kid. I'd be expelled for that now.

[tizzod]

That's amazing. Chalk up another reason why I have no desire to bring a child into this screwy world.

Kinda reminds me of a Carlin line...."now they are talking about banning toy guns....AND THEY'RE GONNA KEEP THE ****ING REAL ONES!!!!!" :laugh:

[Sticksboi05]

Not as bad as that boy who got in trouble for hugging his girlfriend.

[cyfar]

This is silly.

I would have gotten suspended a lot if this is grounds for suspension nowadays. I would draw guns and all types of weird stuff while bored in class.

[Kilmer17]

Zero tolerance sucks, but there isnt a viable alternative.

[Sticksboi05]

Or that girl who got expelled just for brining a plastic knife to cut her birthday cake with.

[Sticksboi05]

THIS is the worst - http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/20030401-95015.shtml

[PeterMP]

Okay, I normally defend the authorities in these types of cases because if nothing else there might be unknown information, but unless somebody actually reported feeling threatened (e.g. he drew it, showed it to somebody, and said 'I'm going to use this on you.' this is just ridiculous.).

[Cskin]

Wow.... just wow. I'm telling you.... if this keeps up... we're going to be invaded and run over by the effing French for god's sake. We're cultivating a crop of kids who will one day be spineless adults that fold up faster than a cheap lawn chair when confronted. We're fooked!!!!!!!! :paranoid:

Liberalism.... the enemy within.

[Thiebear]

So sketching an M16a2 rifle with ammo is patriotic UNLESS in school.

So sketching a Law missle launcher or M1a1 Abrams is practice for an awesome future... No good for public skool?

Were they thinking that it may shoot out some lead poisoning.

[Bang]

Man, I used to imagine my click pen was a gun. Or a spaceship, or the all powerful nuclear annihilation cannon, or whatever else took my mind off of algebra.

I used to draw some horrible stuff, all sorts of late 70s heavy metal head stuff.. I'd have been friggin' EXPELLED nowadays. No kidding.

One time I did a pen and ink drawing in Suitland High on a desk top in my french teacher's class of some zombie thing. (He was out that day,, he was named Enkiri, I understand he became a principal in PG county, maybe some of you know him.)

Anyway, he didn't think it was nearly as cool as I did and made me clean it off. But man, if that happened now, they'd probably try to have me committed.

And I never wanted to hurt anyone. Ever.

I just liked drawing way out trippy nasty stuff

~Bang

[81artmonk]

Zero tolerance sucks, but there isnt a viable alternative.

Uh yeah, it's called punish based on each offense and what is deserved.

[Baculus]

Yeah, I also used to doodle all sorts of stuff that'd probably be considered "dangerous" in today's classroom. Especially my all-out gunfights between Cylons and Stormtroopers.

Robots always get you into trouble.

[#98QBKiller]

Wow, what's the world coming to? It's not like the kid brought a gun to school. People need to lighten up.

[Xameil]

Damn I don't know how many times I blew up the eiffel tower in french class....i'd be in some deep trouble now wouldn't I?

I thought teachers were intelligent enough to realize whats dangerous, and whats a harmless doodle...guess not. :doh:

edit: ok I don't want to group all teachers there...I know around my area...the kid probably wouldn't have been suspended...

[Major Harris]

Damn I don't know how many times I blew up the eiffel tower in french class....i'd be in some deep trouble now wouldn't I?

I thought teachers were intelligent enough to realize whats dangerous, and whats a harmless doodle...guess not. :doh:

edit: ok I don't want to group all teachers there...I know around my area...the kid probably wouldn't have been suspended...

teachers don't have the authority to suspend. fyi

also, this is just a sign of the times. i don't like it either, but if nothing was done and this kid committed a violent crime within the next 15 years, all of you naysayers would point back to this incident as a "warning sign that the incompetent school system failed to address."

[Xameil]

teachers don't have the authority to suspend. fyi

also, this is just a sign of the times. i don't like it either, but if nothing was done and this kid committed a violent crime within the next 15 years, all of you naysayers would point back to this incident as a "warning sign that the incompetent school system failed to address."

They may not have the authority to suspend (which I know thanks ) but they are the ones who bring it to the attention to those that do.

[Zguy28]

teachers don't have the authority to suspend. fyi

also, this is just a sign of the times. i don't like it either, but if nothing was done and this kid committed a violent crime within the next 15 years, all of you naysayers would point back to this incident as a "warning sign that the incompetent school system failed to address."

No, I think you are wrong. Nobody in their right mind would view a simple drawing of a gun as a warning sign of violence. Please. I'm more worried about people who create those kitschy velvet painting of Elvis (who in the heck thinks those are art?) than some kid who doodles a gun.

I can understand your trying to tow the line, since your a teacher, but its just plain kneejerk reaction.

If he drew a Katana sword, would he have been suspended?

[Major Harris]

No, I think you are wrong. Nobody in their right mind would view a simple drawing of a gun as a warning sign of violence. Please. I'm more worried about people who create those kitschy velvet painting of Elvis (who in the heck thinks those are art?) than some kid who doodles a gun.

I can understand your trying to tow the line, since your a teacher, but its just plain kneejerk reaction.

If he drew a Katana sword, would he have been suspended?

thing is zguy, you don't know if it was a knee-jerk reaction to a one-time incident.

if this happened here, the kid would be talked to about why you can't draw guns and such nowadays. if he repeatedly drew weapons after being talked to, he would be punished.

but the article is pretty one-sided.

The drawing did not show blood, bullets, injuries or target any human, the parents said. And the East Valley Tribune reported that the 13 year old boy said he didn't intend for the picture to be a threat.

i added the green text.

They may not have the authority to suspend (which I know thanks )

really no need for the eye roll.

but they are the ones who bring it to the attention to those that do.

and the ones that can lose their job for not doing so.

[skinsfan51]

Zero tolerance sucks, but there isnt a viable alternative.

Yes there is. Homeschool. My sons draw guns all the time. Also, pirate ships and Revolutionary war ships with more guns than they could possibly have actually had. They've got the cannon balls flying through the air at the British ships, swords are glaring---the whole sha-bang! I encourage it. THEY'RE BOYS!!!

[Xameil]

really no need for the eye roll.

Actually there was need for it. I come from a family of teachers...so I do know what a teacher can and cannot do. I found it ridiculous that you would assume that people don't know what falls within the scope of power of a teacher.

So yeah...eye roll necessary

[PokerPacker]

i am so glad i'm out of the god-damned system!

[PokerPacker]

Zero tolerance sucks, but there isnt a viable alternative.

sure there is... USE SOME ****ING COMMON SENSE!

[Burgold]

I'm hoping there is some backstory here, otherwise, this is just really stupid. Boys draw guns, spaceships, superheroes getting into fights, etc. It's normal. It's a healthy outlet of boredom usually and it's good to let the imagination wander. There's a deeper history to this suspension I'd bet. There must be.

[Major Harris]

Actually there was need for it. I come from a family of teachers...so I do know what a teacher can and cannot do. I found it ridiculous that you would assume that people don't know what falls within the scope of power of a teacher.

So yeah...eye roll necessary

a lot of people do overestimate the power and scope of a teacher. i apologize for putting you in that category.