Academia, Bizarre

“A 3.22 Threat”: Six-Year-Old Suspended for Using Finger Gun in Game of Cops and Robbers

J.B. may be the ultimate example of the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) pledge to give up their gun when it is pried from their cold, dead hands. In the case of six-year-old J.B., his gun is his hand.  J.B. this week became the latest child to be suspended for pointing a finger gun. In this case, the adults at the Bagley Elementary School in Jefferson County, Alabama believed that a finger gun violated their zero tolerance policy. We have previously discussed the lunacy of the zero tolerance policies under which teachers discipline children by exercising zero thought or judgment.

Jerrod Belcher says that his son was engaged in a game of “cops and robbers.” A notice of suspension shared with Fox News Digital states that Belcher’s son committed a “Class III” infraction on September 1 by “using his fingers to shoot at another student.” The fact that the district would put such an inane rule into the writing is particularly glaring.

Years ago, I wrote about the growing movement against toy guns  (here and here).

Since then, districts have disciplined toddlers and children for this harmless game (here and here and here and here and here and here and here) while also implementing buy back programs for toy guns.  Some teachers have actually called the police on finger gun felons.  Even drawing a picture of a gun can lead to suspension.

Apparently, J.B. not only engaged in a game of cops and robbers but actually added “bang, bang” to the game. It is shocking that such a menace was allowed to remain free in our society.

This absurdity is reportedly the product of Donna Page, Assistant Principal at Bagley Elementary School, who was given the report of a finger gun and immediately began a disciplinary process against J.B. Rather than use a modicum of discretion and common sense to protect this child, the school proceeded with formal disciplinary measures for a “3.22 Threat” infraction.

One can only imagine school security officers yelling “Code 3.22” into walkie talkies as adults scramble to face the threat of J.B.’s fully loaded finger guns.  After all, J.B. could imagine any calibre of weapon and has no limitation on reloading or ammo.

According to the Student and Parent Handbook for Bagley Elementary, Article 3.22 is “THREAT / INTIMIDATION (OF STUDENT)” includes “a threat to do serious bodily harm or violence to another student by word or act, cyber bullying, or intimidation that may induce fear into another.” Examples given are “a threat to kill, maim, or inflict serious harm; a threat to inflict harm involving the use of any weapon, explosive, firearm, knife, prohibited object, or other object which may be perceived by the individual being threatened as capable of inflicting bodily harm.”

What is striking about that rule is that it clearly does not fit a finger gun used in a game of cops and robbers. Yet, the school hammered this six-year-old because administrators  prefer to suspend a child than exercise logical judgment.

This ridiculous use of zero tolerance rules will not end until administrators  are held accountable. A few suspensions of staff would go a long way in restoring sanity to our schools.

 

253 thoughts on ““A 3.22 Threat”: Six-Year-Old Suspended for Using Finger Gun in Game of Cops and Robbers”

  1. Not to deviate from the topic too much, but can someone please tell me what good the department of education in DC does?

    1. Just ask the decline in test scores since the Department of Education’s inception. I have to agree that school choice is the civil rights issue of today.

    2. It’s a union slush fund with the side benefit of being a public works project hiring of massive numbers of “administrators” and “teachers.”

      A complete democrat boondoggle with the decline in outcomes as the cherry on top. Typical dem garbage.

  2. School personnel must be held accountable for this decision. Fines, penalties, suspensions, termination –those would be appropriate.

  3. The parents of the children going to that school should tell their children all on the same day to run around pointing their fingers and yelling, “BANG!BANG!” just to highlight the absurdity of their zero tolerance rules.

  6. If you are left wing trash and you want to change the traditional gun culture in America, you punish kids in grade school for pretending their finger is a pistol. Or you punish them for chewing a Pop Tart into the shape that some deranged adult thinks resembles a gun.

    By punishing these very young, impressionable children with negative reinforcement, the children are brainwashed into believing guns are “bad”.

    Highjacking education is how the Left imposes its values. It can’t persuade rational adults so it uses government schools to brainwash children – often contradicting the values the parents try to instill in their children.

    1. Its very much one of the reasons they dont want school choice.

      F-ing sinister, these people are.

      1. Tom,
        All the more need for school choice, parents rights, parents involvement in their child’s education and all else fails, homeschool.

      2. If education is the quickest way out of any social ill, and I believe it is, doubt very much a free-market system of education is going to cure what ails us.

        Not against private ‘school choice’, mind you, but public education has a long and reasonably distinguished record, especially in grade schools, and has traditionally served a broader function, namely, a common ‘social’ purpose/identity. .. after all, we all have something different in common.

        Ignorant, these people are. And the notion that human behavior is “learned”, is essential to the understanding of human behavior.

        *’sinister’ is just a word they use for madmen like Trump .. and Putin who recently said the varied prosecution(s) of Trump/or/and the 2024 election was exposing the “rot” in the American body politic

        “Trump, the leading GOP presidential contender for 2024, has in the past blamed the current US leadership for “almost forcing” Putin to invade Ukraine and has said he “would end that war in one day” if he were president by cutting a deal he hasn’t spelled out.

        Putin responded by saying “we hear that Mr. Trump says he will solve pressing problems in a few days, including the Ukrainian crisis.”

        “This can only please us, that’s good,” he said.

    3. With his fingers?!

      Of course six-year-olds can shoot people with guns, just like anyone else can. What has that got to do with this story?

  7. Dear Prof Turley,

    School charter code “3.23” sub sec 3 prohibits back-talking as well as extraneous letters to the editor. ‘The only opinion that counts here is mine’ ~ Judge Judy

    Next step is for (redacted) Elementary school to classify any matters of potential vital national security interests. “JB” could be a Russian asset, and this has all the hallmarks .. . you can’t be too careful these days.

    Fondly recall my 5th grade teacher. Any word misspelled met with swift and terrible retribution .. . for a brief time, I was the best speller in the world.

    *’10/4′ .. . i’m out the door.

  8. We have previously discussed the lunacy of the zero tolerance policies under which teachers discipline children by exercising zero thought or judgment..
    This really needs to be closely examined.

    Zero tolerance is nothing but an expression of totalitarianism. A dictator treating the serfs poorly.

    In schools it is particularly galling.
    Principles, Counselors, Superintendent, all have advanced degrees in early childhood development. Supposedly they are the one getting paid 6 figures for their education , training, and experience.(you don’t come out of college applying for a principle position).
    Exactly what is the purpose of building such a resume and then just mindlessly create a book of zero tolerance policies, and hide behind them absolving yourself on any responsibility in the edications of children under their care.

    What I would like a discussion about is the Judicial ruling staying a school board mandate that teachers inform parents of any their childs gender confusion.
    The relief is delivered to school administrators, that don’t like the actions of the School Board.

    Exactly what in the law or constittuion is the judge using to grant such relief?

    .

  9. I wonder if the child in question identified as a gun, would he be allowed back in school. Zero tolerance policies do not work and unfortunately this child had to learn the hard way. Congratulations to a school system teaching another child to hate school.

    I think it is time for grownup to be grownups and start to actually think. Can someone explain how this helps anyone?

    1. Given that the intellectual sludge of our society often become “educators” after spending 4 or more years of indoctination in “departments of education” as opposed to a more rigourous curriculum, this lack of judgement and luancy no longer surprises me.

  10. This just in,
    The WaPo, that newspaper of such high credibility, is reporting according to their anonymous source is reporting another anonymous source close to the town by a 45 minute drive on a interstate highway, J.B. had a manifesto.
    The sources source says they overheard someone speaking to another person that the manifesto held highly disturbing content involving mass shootings, a kill list and his math homework which is, of course, racist.
    Moments prior the local authorities publishing the manifesto, J.B. reportedly said,
    “I’m a girl! My pronouns are zi/zier/zinger!”
    Put on a skirt, demand puberty blockers and asked to use the “ladies room.”
    Seemingly out of nowhere, the FBI swept in, took all the evidence and issued this statement,
    “Nothing to see here. Move along. Nothing to see.”

  11. This is what happens when one emasculates a population – and leaves it defenseless against all manner of evil. In fact the people doing this to us are evil.

  12. The fault lies with the parents and the 6 year old. Had the child been a TRANS FTM, carrying, displaying, discharging and killing others would have been just dandy.

    it is hard to believe we still have not been informed of the contents of the diaries of Audrey Hale who killed 6 Christians (3 of whom were children) in a Nashville private school. Yet, a 6 year old in Alabama will be marred for life for something pointless and childlike.

  13. Ordered by school security officers to immediatedly “holster that weapon,” the kid quickly inserted his finger back into his nose.

  14. Next it will be a text to your phone stating that you were observed glancing at a gun on the internet and now you have some explaining to do.

  15. I concur; zero tolerance = zero thought or zero judgment.

    When I read the school code section quoted in the article, I see that there is nothing mentioned about weapons that have zero potential of causing harm; it is all based upon perception of the victim. Or in this case, the fake victim. There was no statement about whether the fake victim claimed injury, or even claimed the perception that he might be injured. So this leaves the alleged perception of potential injury to be something determined by an adult, who may or may not have witnessed the event that led to the arrest and apprehension of the alleged criminal.

    I would be wrong to not ask what the perceived threat of the extended finger was. So, school administrator: What was the threat? Was the alleged criminal student threatening to point out an error in judgment by the administrator? Or was he threatening to poke someone’s eyes out? Because he was not charged for either of those alleged crimes, so I can only say that the case should be thrown out because no crime was committed, as there was no injured party.

    1. Those who find the Left unwelcome in their habitats know how to respond. Follow the science!™

      🦍☄️

        1. Cindy, Thks for asking.

          LOL:) I chuckled when I read your question as I was wondering if I or anyone is really ok.

          The temps dropped back here from high 90’s/100’s to the mid/low 80’s so I think most will feel more normal.

          My wife & I went shopping for some fall/winter gear & had a good time last week at a store Bass Pro.

          I see they’ve stores down around your area. Just wondering around/exploring the store made me forget some of the ole pains.

          https://www.basspro.com/shop/en#

  17. Attention illegal immigrants: Be Advised! The United States will NOT tolerate finger guns! Prepare to be deported if you point one 🙂

      1. Not in New Mexico where “concealed carry” has been outlawed by the Governor. My guess is that she would have done what these foolish school officials did, since she has the same mental flaws as they.

  18. Presuming little J. B. was the cop, can you imagine the terror little J.B. would have inflicted on the faculty and staff had he brought an imaginary .50 caliber Browning as backup to an imaginary Gatling? Oh, the humanity!

  19. Somewhat off the subject. The ranks are growing. “Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, a Democratic party leader who was appointed by Lujan Grisham, joined Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Police Chief Harold Medina saying they too would not enforce it (the ban on permitted CCW).”

    Also, Bernalillo Sherrif John Allen will also not enforce the unconstitutional ban against trained and licensed CCW citizens. Also, an unlicensed citizen is permitted to carry a loaded weapon in their car, however, they are not permitted to conceal carry. To my knowledge, there is no open carry permitted in New Mexico unless the person is an officer or security guard.

    The violence in the city is partially due to the governor’s policy of being soft on criminals. She should instead, direct her efforts to convict the thugs who use guns when committing crimes. Thieves walk into retail stores and take what they want, knowing that little to nothing will be done to them. Drugs are rampant. What does she do? She punishes the people who went through training, extensive background checks, qualified on the range, took a written test and are registered to carry a firearm. This makes absolutely no sense to a fair minded individual. So, what is her real motivation? What does she wish to accomplish by her illegal actions? I think she is addicted to emergency powers and frustrated with the same old hum drum of dealing with he legislative process.

    1. E.M.
      What you seem to be describing is what most would call common sense. Something it appears the governor of NM appears to be lacking based off her actions and words.
      Good on ya!

      1. She is addicted to power and attention and is a bully. Her words and actions are scary. She had to give up her COVID emergency powers in March and in a lecture at Johns Hopkins in May, she bragged that everything is in the domain of a health emergency. So, here we have it. A thug commits a gun crime in road rage or a drive by and licensed CCW citizens, many of whom are retired police and military are punished. She has gone off the rails.

      3. There’s two versions:

        1) When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns; and

        2) When guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns.

        The second version is the scarier of the two.

  20. When my son was very young he used a curved McDonald’s french fry as a gun. That should have put him in prison for at least as long as the Jan. 6th criminals.

    1. Allencic……and McDonald’s is a national chain and involved in interstate commerce, so that would make it a Federal offense!!!
      We’re talkin’ Leavenworth, baby!

      (and possible international repercussions because the fry was French! Mon Dieu!)

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