Boy Suspended Over Displaying Toy Gun During Internet Class :: 09/07/2020

Earlier this year, after our local school system made it clear to me that they had no idea what the hell they were doing yet again, my wife and I made the decision to homeschool our daughter. We, fortunately, had the resources to make that decision. Plus, it allows me to make sure she’s actually being educated, not indoctrinated.

Since we made that decision, I’ve seen plenty of evidence that simply makes me feel better about our decision. Take this, for example.

A Colorado school suspended a 12-year-old boy for five days and sent the police to his home after a teacher saw him “waving” a toy gun during a virtual class.

Isaiah Elliott, a seventh grader at Grand Mountain School in Colorado Springs, was attending an art class via distance learning on Aug. 27, his third day of school. His mother, Dani Elliott, told BuzzFeed News that at one point during the lesson, her son picked up a neon green toy gun and moved it from one side of his computer screen to the other.

Now, I’m not going to say that Elliot should have even messed with the toy gun during class, even if it was virtual. No, he should have been trying his best to focus on school, though as a fellow ADHD sufferer, I know how much easier that is said than done. Still, that doesn’t excuse it.

That said, it’s a toy gun at the child’s home. A photo of the “gun” makes it quite clear that it’s a toy, thus nothing to be alarmed over. It wasn’t even a realistic airsoft gun. Nope, it’s clearly a toy. The art teacher getting her knickers in a twist is beyond ridiculous.

However, it got dumber.

Soon after getting the email, Elliott said that she received a call from Grand Mountain School Vice Principal Keri Lindaman informing her that she had called school resource officers from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to conduct a health and wellness check on Isaiah at the family’s home.

Over a toy gun.

At his house.

A toy gun.

In his home.

Yeah…I don’t think that one is going to make any sense anytime soon. Especially since the teacher apparently admitted that she knew it was a freaking toy.

Sheriff’s deputies showed the Elliot’s husband video of the supposed incident, which opened another can of worms. After all, there was no mention to parents that classes would be recorded.

The school system went into damage control mode on social media, but I honestly don’t care.

See, I’ve long had an issue with zero tolerance policies, even when students were in physical schools. They often got kids suspended or expelled for the most benign of actions, all because they fell under the “zero tolerance” rules. Frankly, this is even dumber.

Yes, you can and should bar children from bringing toys to school. That includes toys of any kind.

However, if you’re going to have virtual classes, you have to expect that toys are going to be present. While taking issue with the boy messing with his toys is one thing, to suspend him for having a freaking toy gun in his own home is beyond ridiculous.

Frankly, it makes me that much happier to have pulled my daughter out of public education. No parent should have to put up with that level of outright stupidity in order to see their children educated.

Tom Knighton is a Navy veteran, a former newspaperman, a novelist, and a blogger and lifetime shooter. He lives with his family in Southwest Georgia. He's also the host of Unloaded TV on YouTube. https://bearingarms.com/author/tomknighton/

https://bearingarms.com/tom-k/2020/09/07/boy-supended-over-toy-gun/