Terror Tots III: Maryland Officials Reverse Suspension Of Six-Year-Old For Making Gesture Of Finger Gun And Saying “Pow”

We have a development in the latest case of a student being suspended for using a finger gun.  Previously, Montgomery County suspended a six-year-old boy for making a finger gun with his hand and saying “Pow.” Now school officials have rescinded the suspension of a 6-year-old Silver Spring boy who they said pointed his finger like a gun and said, “Pow.”  However, once again, there is no action to be taken against school officials for ordering such an absurd punishment in a mindless “zero tolerance” policy. School officials alleged that this standard child gesture was a threat “to shoot a student.”

We have previously seen absurd examples of disciplinary actions taken under zero tolerance rules for drugs and guns (here andhere and here). This includes cases involving kids using finger guns (here).

Assistant Principal Renee Garraway wrote to the child’s parents about this “serious incident” and said that by using he “threatened to shoot a student.” The letter also reference to a prior incident that the parents say was never conveyed to them. Given the absurdity of that action and that statement, one would expect some action to be taken. However, officials routinely adopt this blind and thoughtless approach to students and rarely face any repercussions — encouraging the continuation such ridiculous orders.

The reversal, laid out in a letter late Thursday, followed an appeal filed by the family’s attorney the previous day.

Source: Washington Post