Student suspended because he “could have” broken a rule
Kansas 9-year-old tries to swap gun for Xbox
This one takes the cake. A nine year-old student at Rea Woodman Elementary School in the Witchita Public School System has been suspended indefinitely pending a hearing. The reason he was suspended? Because he was hypothetically capable of breaking a zero tolerance rule.
One boy offered a .38-caliber handgun for an Xbox, a popular electronic game system, officials say. The gun would turn out to be loaded.
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Instead of going through with the trade Tuesday, the boy with the Xbox told his mother about the offer. The mother quickly notified a teacher, and soon police were alerted, school district spokeswoman Susan Arensman said.Police found the loaded gun in the boy’s backpack at his home Tuesday night.
I’m not sure why the mother would notify a teacher instead of the boy’s guardian or the police. In any case, all involved are happy that the situation ended peacefully with nobody getting hurt.
Police spokeswoman Janet Johnson stressed that the gun never made it to school and that the boy made no threats.
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During questioning, the boy told officers he never planned to take the gun to school, Sharon [the boy’s grandfather and guardian] said.“He just said his intention was to get an Xbox.”
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The trade apparently was to have taken place at Sharon’s house.
So why is the school involved at all? The agreement didn’t happen at school. The discovery of the planned swap didn’t happen at school. The swap itself was not planned to happen at school. The gun that was to be traded was never at the school.
Because the school district has a zero-tolerance policy against weapons and because the gun could have been taken to school, the boy who offered the trade has been suspended. He will remain on suspension pending a hearing that will be held within a week, Arensman said.
The fact that the student had the capability of breaking a rule even though he had not done so is considered a violation of the rule? What spectacular administrative stupidity! Or perhaps it is brilliance cleverly disguised as stupidity? After all, if they get away with this they have a massive weapon to use at their discretion.
“We are expelling Little Susie for making terroristic threats. Yes, we know that she didn’t make any terroristic threats but you see we have a policy against these threats and she could have made them.”
So much for the concept of due process.
Contact Information:
Principal Karen Whittle
Assistant Principal Carolyn Kindrick
Superintendent Winston Brooks
(Tip credit to Tori in Texas))
“because the gun could have been taken to school”…. so why not arrest the entire school population? Every one of them is capable of all sorts of mischief….
This one goes straight to the front of the line.
Good lord!
And here I thought we were safe homeschooling. Nope, my kid could still be arrested because if she were to go to public school, then she could possibly break a rule there.
So how do I fix it so that my kid cannot potentially go to jail?
I want to know where the kid got the gun. I can see why the police were involved. I would not want my child to be approached by a fellow student with the possibility of getting a gun. I just cant see why the school would punish this kid. Since this never happened on school grounds, it is a matter for the authorities and not the school.
He stole the gun from his grandfather, who is also his guardian. The grandfather thought it had been stolen during a break-in. The other child’s mother called the teacher and not the police, probably because she didn’t want the other kid to get into trouble with the law. Instead, he got into trouble with the law AND at school. So much for good intentions!
First thing Monday morning I going sue every teacher I ever had. I COULD have made an A, didn’t they know that!
I am beginning to believe that there is a secret conspiracy amongst school administrators to see who can pull off the most bone headed stunt. Just when you think that you have seen the dumbest overreaction ever, another one pops up to prove you wrong.
The rule seems to be if they know they are no longer innocent bystanders. They’re not paid to think so who can blame them for freaking out when their cover is blown.
This reminds me of a joke:
A couple goes on vacation to a fishing resort in Islamorada. The husband likes to fish at the crack of dawn. The wife likes to read. One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing and decides to take a short nap.
Although she isn’t familiar with the area, the wife decides to take out the boat. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and continues to read her book. Along comes an FWC Officer in his boat. He pulls up alongside her and says,”Good morning, Ma’am, what are you doing?” “Reading my book,” she replies, thinking isn’t that obvious? “You’re in a restricted fishing area,” he informs her. “But officer, I’m not fishing. Can’t you see that?” “Yes, but you have all the equipment. I’ll have to take you in and write you up.”
“If you do that, I’ll have to charge you with rape,” says the woman. “But I haven’t even touched you,” says the Officer. “That’s true, but you do have all the equipment.”
Apparently, in this particular school district, the movie “Minority Report” is nonfiction.
To the anonymous (currently) 2 posts above telling the joke: (from www.bash.org)
Radio interview quote from Marine Corps General Reinwald and a female radio host. He wants to host some boy scouts at the training center for some practise excercises. As follows
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?
GENERAL REINWALD: We’re going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That’s a bit irresponsible, isn’t it?
GENERAL REINWALD: I don’t see why, they’ll be properly supervised on the rifle range.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don’t you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?
GENERAL REINWALD: I don’t see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you’re equipping them to become violent killers.
GENERAL REINWALD: Well, you’re equipped to be a prostitute, but you’re not one, are you?
The radio went silent and the interview ended. You gotta love the Marines!
Excellent. I love it!
Unfortantely we live in a day and age where the school BOE’s think they have to protect our kids and monitor their behavior 24-7. Every rule in our policy manual regarding weapons and or alcohol and drugs refers to “on or off school property”. They drug test students so they can monitor their behavior 24-7. When I asked what business it is of theirs what students do outside of school, they replied “We are student advocates who advocate for the kids 24-7″. I could hardly keep my composure.
Yeah, they’re “student advocates” alright. They’ll nail your kid to a wall and destroy his life just as soon as look at him.
I am normally as appalled as anyone at the horror stories recounted on this site. But this one gives me pause. I am not sure I want my nine year old in school with another nine year old caught with a loaded gun (which he stole!) in his backpack.
I guess they could have waited until he actually brought the gun to school, but I don’t think it is unreasonable to make the determination that certain behaviors, even if occurring outside of school, are worrisome enough to warrant action.
Correct action was taken, by the authorities responsible for doing so. When it is a criminal matter outside of school, that’s the police. The school taking severe action against a student for something that could theoretically happen is abominable.
Note also that there was never any intent or plan to bring the weapon to school.
The school has nothing to do with this situation at all, and has no rightful authority to involve itself in it, even if the mother did call them. The only effect of the mother having called them should have, is that they are aware of what happened. This is why the public school system is failing: its not a lack of money, but a lack of sense of duty, which is to teach and not police at every opportunity that presents itself. Thats what the parents and police are there for, and also who should and did handle the situation. Dont give schools more money, until they are first given a clue on how to use it, as well as their authority, which they feel a need to expand constatntly.
I read the article…something stinks here. Sorry, but this kid doesn’t belong in a public school. The grandfather says kid took a ladder, broke into an upstairs bedroom through a window, took a gun from a top back shelf of a closet, loaded it with ammo from a nightstand, and hid it for 10 days so he could offer it to another kid? The teacher is required by law to report anything criminal, and a 9 year old with a handgun is criminal.
I have this knife in the kitchen. I “could” bring it to school. I “could” cut my dinner with it. I “could” stab the administrators with it because they’re idiots. Or maybe I should.