Kindergartner Suspended Over Bubble Gun Threat

[hrsepwrguy]

A 5-year-old girl was suspended from school earlier this week after she made what the school called a "terrorist threat."

Her weapon of choice? A small, Hello Kitty automatic bubble blower.

The kindergartner, who attends Mount Carmel Area Elementary School in Pennsylvania, caught administrators' attention after suggesting she and a classmate should shoot each other with bubbles.

"I think people know how harmless a bubble is. It doesn't hurt," said Robin Ficker, an attorney for the girl's family. According to Ficker, the girl, whose identity has not been released, didn't even have the bubble gun toy with her at school.



The kindergartner was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation during her 10-day suspension, which was later reduced to two days. The evaluation deemed the girl normal and not a threat to others, Ficker said.

The girl's family is considering a lawsuit against the school to get the blemish - all because of bubbles - off their daughter's record.

"The mother has tried to get the girl in another school since this time, and they won't take the little girl because of this mark on her record," Ficker said.

The suspension comes one month after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, which has created a heightened sense of alert at schools across the country.

The Mount Carmel Area School District told ABC News, "We are confident that much of the information supplied to the media may not be consistent with the facts… The Mount Carmel Area School District takes the well-being and safety of students and staff very seriously."

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/kindergartner-suspended-over-bubble-gun-threat-174618051--abc-news-topstories.html

[margypops]

I went to school in UK and I dont remember any of these rules and regulations that schools have here, has it always been this way ? Or is this recent years and were there gun shootings when you were kids or again is this  recent  as in the last 20 years?

[brice1967]

Agreed.... big damn difference, and no talk regardless of age, about "the best way to kill someone" is appropriate at school or elsewhere for that matter.  This is one of those things that I cringe when someone says, "they're just kids."

Some problems start here, when "they're just kids".  Not that these kids are terrorists in training, but they need to know that that kind of talk is not okay and will not be accepted.  The kids you are talking about were talking about stabbing your child to death..... way, way, way different than a bubble gun.

[specialmom]

I think stories like this will end up with parents having talks with their kids about no pretend gun play or talk at school.  But that isn't new.  I've had those talks with my boys.  When my oldest was in first grade, the kids were rolling up paper and attaching other paper to make it look like a gun.  I was working in the classroom on the day the teacher said that the kids could do that at home but not at school and collected all the paper guns and put them in the trash.  And when my sons two "friends" sat and discussed the best way to kill my child.  One's idea was to shoot him and the other's was to stab him to death.  I told his teacher about it and the class was told that this was inappropriate discussion to ever have at school or otherwise.  I certainly appreciated that.  

I tell my boys to think about what they are doing and saying at school.

but that is different than a five year old talking about shooting a bubble gun.  

[brice1967]

These are the times in which we live.  I think its wonderful that these teachers are somehow qualified to identify a "terrorist threat" but cannot motivate children to be better students.  Things have changed since I was in school or since my mother was a teacher.

[margypops]

It is becoming scary that teachers and school officials feel they may speak to children and question them without the parents knowledge , this is a concern. Iwonder if parents across America are removing all weapons from their children toy' cupboard...lest they be labelled Terrorist'

[hrsepwrguy]

"5-year-old"--"school district officials labeled the girl a "terrorist threat"

LOL, SHE"S 5 and know considered TERRORIST THREAT over a Hello Kitty bubble gun

How absurd is that !!!!!!

[hrsepwrguy]

More details from another article

Parents of the kindergartener are seeking to fight the suspension, since their daughter did not have the bubble gun with her at the time the remark was made on Jan. 10. Their attorney, Robin Ficker of Bethesda, Md., said school district officials labeled the girl a "terrorist threat" after the incident, according to the Associated Press.

The kindergartener was waiting in the bus line with two friends when she made the remark about her pink bubble gun. The next day, officials at Mount Carmel Area Elementary School allegedly questioned the student for three hours about the incident without her parents' knowledge, local news outlet the Daily Item reports.

“This logic, which was not said in malice, came from the mind of this beautiful 5-year-old child who was playing with her friends, whom she hugs every day,” Ficker told the Daily Item. “And this shows how hysterical people who work at schools have become since Sandy Hook.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/18/kindergarten-suspension-pink-bubble-gun_n_2507017.html?utm_hp_ref=education

[orphanedhawk]

Too many things are being taken to extremes.

Let kids be kids!!!


I couldn't agree more !

[specialmom]

**  that is different THAN a rule . . .

I would see that as unfair as well.  That is different than teaching people to be on time.  

[specialmom]

Brice, you have an odd school system.  They have no rules on absences?  We have rules on tardies and absenses and they are governed by the state I believe.  Your story of your child arriving at the same time as the buses and him being the only one to get detention surprises me as that doesn't make any sense.  That is different that a rule that you are tardy if you come in late (which wouldn't apply if road conditions made everyone late).  That is treating your son differently than other kids just because he drove to school rather than road a bus.  I do believe all kids should be held to the same standards.  
in general though, rules on arriving to school on time should apply to everyone within reason.  We don't have things like 42 mile drives to school or massive snow to contend with so most tardies in our area are the "couldn't get out of bed" type of tardies.  

[brice1967]

Considering the circumstances of any tardy we have (only time is like the story above) it is unfair.  30 kids walk in the school the same time my kid does and they are okay but my kid is marked as tardy?  

We've complained.... it does no good.  There are no absentee rules though.  So, just miss 1st period and call it good.  Dumb....

[specialmom]

Our school is pretty strict on tardies with the thought that a kid who just walks in late will bust a move so that parents aren't involved.  I don't really have a problem with it.  Teaches kids that being even one minute late is still late and that is a life lesson.  Most parents will then make an effort to get to school on time as really, the last thing most moms want is their kids hanging out at the house in the moring.  (as we moms do a happy wave as the bus pulls away . . . well, most do.  I still stifle a tear as I'm overly attached.)

[margypops]

wow cant you and other parents put in a complaint.. sounds very unfair

[brice1967]

Yup.  That's about what it amounts to.  This goes with it.  We get a lot of snow.  We have a 42 mile, one way commute to town/school.  One real bad storm had the roads all jacked up and we arrived at the school right as the tardy bell rang.  My son got detention.... here's the kicker.  Buses were still unloading and none of those students got detention because "the roads were bad".  

(The buses routes are within 10 miles of the school and those kids were excused, we live 42 miles away, beat some of the buses there and the bus kids got excused while my kid got punished....)  

[margypops]

ow one min late and 2 days detention that sounds tough,but then you may aswell miss the first period and ask Mom to write a note

[brice1967]

Schools.... We've got a great tardy policy here at our high school.  Basically, if you are 1 minute late to first period class, you are put on "in school detention" for 2 days.... on the other hand, if you miss first period with a parents permission, no problem.  Basically, they are advocating absence.  

[nursegirl6572]

OMG, I think some of this over the top reactionary stuff is ridiculous.  I hate that now the Halloween parties have strict rules, NO fake weapons may be brought into school on Halloween.  I could MAYBE (MAYBE) see fake guns, but everything else?  It's so dumb...most of the costumes are made by the weapons!

Same with the newer dietary restrictions.  NONE of the kids' parties at school can involve a food item with the first ingredient of sugar...so no more cookies, cupcakes, etc.  Nothinig like hummus dip at the Valentine's party!  UGH!  

Hey, I'm ALL for teaching kids about eating healthy, but to now allow those treats at a kids' party, at least a little bit of it?  Totally stupid IMO.  Instead, they all get treat bags loaded with candy, which they're not allowed to eat at school...so they just go HOME and stuff their face.

Too many things are being taken to extremes.

Let kids be kids!!!

[specialmom]

Hm.  I just thought of something.  I wonder if my boy's semi automatic NERF guns are going to be banned.  Uh oh.  

[brice1967]

These school officials would have flipped out if they could have seen all of the "cowboys and indians", "cops and robbers" games we played as kids.  We'd have to have our pointer fingers removed.  

[specialmom]

I heard on the radio that three 6 year old boys got detention in their elementary school for pointing their finger and saying bang during recess too!  My kids would be put away for life if that were illegal!!

ha ha Brice,  well, then.  Her days of being able to purchase such a dangerous bubble gun are numbered.  Only those in authority positions will be able to have the semi automatic bubble gun.  

[el_em_en_oh]

Zero-Tolerance means ZERO-TOLERANCE, folks.

I think this sick, twisted, evil little 5-y/o girl needs to be put away for a very, VERY long time.

What is this world coming to, when a 5-y/o can get their hands on a GUN! A bubble-gum-gun, yes, but still... it's GUN people!!!

String her up. String her up and punish her severely.

Serial-killer in training, if you ask me.

[brice1967]

What if it was a semi automatic bubble gun with a high capacity bubble juice reservoir?  

[teko]

I heard this on the news yesterday and could not believe my ears. Really? If this is true, it speaks to the severe paranoia the nation is experiencing and that bothers me much more than a small child with a hello kitty bubble gun. Omg

[specialmom]

I have to be honest----  this story doesn't sound completely true to me.  You gotta wonder.  I missed that she didn't even bring the bubble blower to school with her.  AND, if they determined that she was psychologically stable after evaluations---  what is in her record/  She threatened to bubble her classmates after school??  Silly.

Having spent some time in a kinder classroom recently . . .   I just can't imagine overhearing a 5 year old discussing shooting her bubble gun and reacting in fear.  I'd try to set up a playdate with her and my boys!