Suspended for folding a piece of paper
Students suspended for paper gun
Destiny Thomas, an 11 year-old student at Amber Terrace Intermediate School in the Desoto Independent School District, folded a piece of paper into the shape of a gun. She and two classmates were suspended and sentenced to 30 days of alternative school for their flagrant violation of district anti-gun policies.
Destiny said she made the paper gun after a fellow classmate at Amber Terrace Intermediate School in Desoto showed her how to fold a computer paper. She said she had no intention of doing anything that would get her kicked out of school.
“I know not to bring a real gun, but I didn’t think a paper gun would get you in trouble,” Thomas said.
Desoto school officials said the student code of conduct clearly states no weapons or replica of weapons are allowed on campus.
District officials reviewed the case the next day and revoked the punishment. All three students will be allowed to return to class. While I am glad that this was caught at the district level I am appalled that it ever got there.
A replica is defined as an exact reproduction, a copy exact in all details. A folded piece of paper is not a replica weapon in any sense of the word. The administers at Amber Terrace weren’t trying to make their school a safer place. They were engaged in thought control - punishing pre-teens for engaging a concept that the officials disapprove.
Contact Information:
Amber Terrace Principal Kim Scoggins
District Superintendent Alton Frailey
School Board President Dr. Janice Pettis Ingram
School Board Vice President Dee Trimble
School Board Secretary Sharon Sternes
School Board Member Donald Gant
School Board Member Kenneth Graves
School Board Member Kurt Krohn
School Board Member Rhonda Lemons
(Tip credit to David Richmond)
Perhaps we should have mandatory vocabulary tests for prosective administrators and have a zero tolerance policy for those who cannnot at least pass a fourth grade exam.
Mike
“Look out ma! He’s got a gun!”
“No son its just paper!”
“Ma!! Get back he’s gonna shoot you!”
“What are you talking about he’s just playing a game.”
“Ma are you crazy?! He’s gonna kill you-”
“With a piece of paper?!! I shoulda aborted you…”
Take a look at the photo. That’s no gun, it’s a boomerang! Useful in studying the subsistence culture of Australian aborigines. Or maybe it’s a template for duplicating angles, in the furtherance of studying plane geometry. On the other hand, it could be a mockup of an aircraft wing, helpful in understanding the history and science of flight.
I’m usually the one that thinks that kids that bring replicas of weapons should get in trouble because of the ‘fire in the theatre’ comparision. But I think that the replicas should actually LOOK like a weapon before a kid gets into trouble.
But this one’s ridiculous — even for me!
After looking at the photo of the folded white paper gun, I wonder if that school district would have freaked out if they had traced an outline of a gun (from a photo in a book or magazine)?
I’m wondering if they have cut every picture of a weapon or occurence of the word “gun” from the history books.
Well, atleast they were able to return to school after the School looked over what they had done and realized how stupid they are for doing it in the first place. Seriously, I thank God i ive in Canada, where the schools are Zero Tolerance free. If they werent, there wouldnt be a student left in the schools to teach.
I personally know about this situation and the paper guns in question were being loaded with small objects and with the use of rubber bands items were propelled across the room. Students had whelps on their faces from the objects hitting them. Listen to both sides of the story before judging.
its a boomerang
I don’t fully agree with the code of conduct saying that a folded piece of paper is considered a replica of a firearm. How do you know that the students involved weren’t trying to model something else? If the school district even considers suspension in the first place I personally think that the school district needs to sort out their priorities. I’m quite sure that there are more important things to worry about than 11 year olds walking around with folded pieces of paper. Better yet, a “replica” of a dangerous firearm.