From finger guns to #IstandwithAhmed clock, zero-tolerance gone too far?
The arrest and suspension of a teen boy taking his invention to school may have been more than anti-Muslim sentiments. Some juvenile justice experts say the zero-tolerance stance that often drives school discipline also played a critical role.
But Ahmed Mohamed’s arrest this week is far from being the first in which the public has criticized school officials for going to the extreme.
Here are some examples of other school districts’ reactions to behavior they deemed suspicious.
A finger gun—A 10-year-old Ohio boy was suspended for three days last year after he pointed his finger like a gun to another student. The elementary student said he was just playing around but district officials told media outlets that the principal had repeatedly warned students about pretend-gun games.
Theater prop—In 2008, a National Honor Society student from a Houston suburb received a seven-week suspension from her Fort Bend high school when officials found her stepbrother’s theater prop sword in the backseat of her car.
Killing dinosaurs —A South Carolina teen was arrested and suspended last school year after turning in a creative writing assignment in which he killed a dinosaur using a gun.
Another finger gun—In 2010, a Houston 13-year-old was suspended and accused of making a terroristic threat against when she pointed her finger in the direction of her teacher making “pow pow” sounds. The girl said she and friends were pretending to be police officers.
Mini bat —In 2004, Fort Worth officials suspended a high school student when a mini wooden baseball bat was visible through a car window. The teen, who was a baseball player, said the piece apparently broke off of a trophy.
Granny’s bread knife —In 2002, a Bedford student was expelled from school after officials found a bread knife in the back of a truck. The knife was left there after the teen and his dad helped take some of his grandmother’s possessions to a charitable organization.
