Academia, Bizarre, Society

“Send Him To Juvie”: Student Suspended After He Allegedly Twirled A Pencil And Another Student Said That He Felt Threatened

310px-Pencils_hbIn New Jersey, Glen Meadow Middle School has added its own bizarre entry in the ever-lengthening list of zero tolerance insanity. According to Ethan Chaplin, he was suspended for twirling a pencil in math class. He says that a student (who had been allegedly bullying him) yelled to the teacher that “He’s making gun motions, send him to juvie.” The school responded by suspending Chaplin and the Vernon Schools Superintendent Charles Maranzano insists that it is the only appropriate response because he must investigate any time that a student claims to be uncomfortable or threatened by another student.

Chaplin’s father, Michael Chaplin, was so outraged that he took the step of recording a conversation between himself, the school’s principal and guidance counselor — and then posted it on YouTube. It is not clear from the article if this was done with consent but the absence of any allegation of unlawful recording suggests that it was a legal or consensual taping.

Michael Chaplin said that he was told that his son would have to be evaluated by a therapist and cleared as a threat before being able to be around students. This resulted in a five-hour physical and psychological evaluation and allegedly his son being required to strip give blood and urine samples. He says that a social worker actually only spoke with him for a few minutes after the tests and cleared him.

I have long criticized zero tolerance policies that have led to suspensions and arrests of children (here, here and here and here and here). Here is a prior column on the subject (and here).Children have been suspended or expelled for drawing stick figures or wearing military hats or bringing Legos shaped like guns or even having Danish in the shape of a gun. Even a student who prevented another student from continuing to cut himself was suspended for taking possession of the razor and dispensing it. Despite the public outcry over the completely irrational and abusive application of zero tolerance rules, administrators and teachers continue to apply them blindly. If you do not have to exercise judgment, you can never been blamed for any failure. Conversely, even when the public outcry results in a reversals, teachers and administrators never seem punished with the same vigor for showing no judgment or logic in punishing a child.

What I am unclear about is the absence of any discussion of witnesses. Surely, despite the superintendent’s statement, there is some basic duty of inquiry – particularly when the act allegedly occurs in a classroom. There is also no word on what the obligations of a school might be when there is a false allegation. My assumption is that no actions are taken to encourage students to come forward to report bullying. However, if this is true, then there should be greater emphasis on an initial investigation.

Putting aside these issues, one towering problem remains. The allegation, according to the family, was that Chaplin was using a pencil in a mock gun movement. We have seen a slew of finger gun cases resulting in suspensions under the same strained logic. Even if you believe the other student, is that really a cause for suspension?

Source: NJ

82 thoughts on ““Send Him To Juvie”: Student Suspended After He Allegedly Twirled A Pencil And Another Student Said That He Felt Threatened”

  1. Thanks Barry. I made the correction. I am afraid that between an aggressive spell corrector and early morning blogging I am prone to such errors. I really appreciate the help. Our late weekend contributor (and friend) David Drumm would often catch such mistakes. I miss him greatly and the blog has suffered from his absence in this and a myriad of other ways.

    Thanks again.

  2. Required to give blood and urine samples for holding a pencil?! While in school?!
    I used to think warrants were needed for that.

  3. Hi. The wonderful blog Legal Insurrection (http://legalinsurrection.com/) has picked up your story. Just to tell you though, you should fix a minor error. You have “He says that a student, who been allegedly bullying him”. It should be of course. Thank you.

  5. Paul,
    Please tell us who is behind this alleged emasculating of little boys?
    This school superintendent needs to be looking for a new career, along with the school board that allows this nonsense.

  6. Let ’em keep their zero tolerance policy. Just modify it so that both the accuser and the accused are suspended. That will stop this nonsense.

  8. It doesn’t matter what the political affiliations of the persons involved in making these asinine decisions. They are not conservative or liberal, but idiotic and cruel.

  9. Paul;

    First of all (from legal perspective) your logic makes an assumption of facts not in evidence. We have no indication of the leanings of the administrators.

    Secondly, your logic infers that (had it not been a liberal making the ruling and/or rules) – a Righty might have ruled another way (also another presumption of facts not in evidence).

    Finally, it is protocols in discussion here;
    and the absurdity of the extremist view.

    It is highly unfathomable (and again a presumption) that the majority of our schools administrators who design the protocols, aren’t religious.

    Be that as it may, religion has NO place in our schools – PERIOD!

    And I’m a G-d fearing (former hardline GOP) reformed to progressiveness.

    1. Laser wrote: “Be that as it may, religion has NO place in our schools – PERIOD!”

      Thomas Jefferson certainly had a very different vision for schools than you do. Have you studied how he setup the University of Virginia?

      Your viewpoint is unconstitutional so you may want to re-examine it.

  10. Paul Schulte;

    I’m coerced to forgo my simple “BS” retort (to your 1st para);
    because of your ending remarks.

    Perhaps you come to “that” (preposterous) gaggle of conclusions;
    because no RWNJ would suspend a boy for wheeling a gun!

    Sheessshhh….

    1. Laser – if you can disprove my remarks (other than saying BS) do so. I hope I am not assuming too much when I say that I seem to have touched a nerve?

  12. Pingback: 13-year old boy suspended for twirling pencil in “gun motion” manner

    1. There is an effort in the elementary system to emasculate little boys. They want to make little boys into little girls. This effort has been going on for some time. Little boys play cops-and-robber, cowboys-and-Indians, etc. They make guns with their fingers, it is all part of free play. They have taken dodge-ball out of many schools because it is too rough. Running on the playground is not allowed. I am surprised they allow recess anymore.

      Now, let’s be honest here. We know it is not conservative or the Religious Right who is behind suspending this boy. We all know who it is. We just have to be honest with ourselves.

  14. “I feel threatened.” Reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials. Prove your innocence.

  15. I would say that given this day and age you have no expectation of privacy as far as the recording goes. Any privacy rights there might be would belong to the student and his parent.

    I will tell you, as a former teacher, whose ever classroom this was does not have control of his or her classroom. I have taken a loaded gun away from a student and caused less of fuss.

  16. I cannot help but see this as a result of the feminization of our society. Where are the real men in authority who will not put up with this crap?

  18. A person may be smart;
    but most “peoples” tend to be less than.

    Thirst for melodrama fosters the inanity beyond the mind-boggling.

    My son got tossed out of school for defending the truth (saying Santa is fake);
    and the girl, during the crying about it – popped out (much later)

    that my son said the “n” word.

    That was it – 30 day suspension – accused, hung out to dry;
    and permanent mark on the record as racist.

  20. “I feel threatened” are magic words in schools now. It is the rape whistle of that venue and all the education industry morons jump into action.

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