A 10-Year-Old Pointed a Finger Gun. The Principal Kicked Him Out of His Tennessee School for a Year.

[sl8]

https://www.propublica.org/article/tennessee-school-threats-expulsions

A 10-Year-Old Pointed a Finger Gun. The Principal Kicked Him Out of His Tennessee School for a Year.

by Aliyya Swaby
Aug. 23, 6:30 a.m. EDT

Reporting Highlights

- New Law About Threats: A 2023 Tennessee law requires a minimum yearlong expulsion for students who threaten mass violence. Some students were expelled for mildly disruptive behavior.

- More Frequent Expulsions: Expulsions for threats went up in some districts after the law passed, even when the total number of threats remained the same or decreased.

- Police Involvement: Some school administrators handed off the responsibility for dealing with minor incidents to police, resulting in students being arrested and charged.

These highlights were written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

[...]

Tennessee school officials have used the law to expel students for mildly disruptive behavior, according to advocates and lawyers across the state who spoke with ProPublica. (In Tennessee and a number of other states, expulsions aren’t necessarily permanent.) Some students have been expelled even when officials themselves determined that the threat was not credible. Lawmakers did put a new fix in place in May that limits expulsions to students who make “valid” threats of mass violence. But that still leaves it up to administrators to determine which threats are valid.

[...]

--

Paige Pfleger of WPLN contributed reporting.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Mixed feelings

I agree that the "finger-gun" was inappropriate behavior in school because of the obvious implications.

I disagree about the suspension for a year as punishment. Maybe if he had brought into school a real gun or even a toy gun and pointed it at a student, the suspension would have been warranted to that extent.

What is being done to "de-program" this student to convince him that violence is never the correct response to being angered, disturbed, or just bullying?

[Shipwack]

9. They aren't trying to teach him that violence is wrong.

The lesson they are trying to instill on him and his classmates is that you never, ever, challenge authority.

[multigraincracker]

2. Hmmm. Teacher shaking a finger at a student?

The devil is in the details.

[doc03]

3. That is just crazy we expel a kid for pointing a finger gun, while adults have the right

to threaten everyone by carrying an AR15 in public. He probably learned that at home from his MAGA parents.
The former president threatens to execute his enemies on live TV at every rally.

[DFW]

4. In a state where practically anyone over 21 can legally open carry

They shouldn’t be permitted to expel a ten year old from school for making a hand gesture like that. Not if he sees adults carrying weapons around all over the place.

[Docreed2003]

5. Which is ironic

Because districts can now allow armed teachers in the classroom.

[arlyellowdog]

6. The mother refused to appeal the decision and homeschooled

The mother is making points. Had she appealed, her son would be reinstated in school. It happens here far more often than parents and community members would be comfortable knowing. She also said kids avoided her son because he wouldn’t answer whether he was vaccinated. But she won’t say if he’s vaccinated. Teachers and kids are threatened every year. The days when districts can just say it’s a joke are over. But if a parent refuses to appeal, that’s on them.

[LisaM]

8. I feel as if there is some missing information here.

Why didn't the mother just tell him he was vaccinated (if he was?) Why was he "so angry?"

I am going to reserve judgement because I don't think we are getting 100% of the story.

[twodogsbarking]

7. Is there a penalty for real guns? Just askin'.