Ariz. school suspends boy for sketching gun


MESA, Ariz. (AP) — School officials suspended a 13-year-old boy for sketching what looked like a gun, saying the action posed a threat to his classmates.
The boy's parents said the drawing was a harmless doodle and school officials overreacted.

"The school made him feel like he committed a crime. They are doing more damage than good," said the boy's mother, Paula Mosteller.

The drawing did not show blood, bullets, injuries or target any human, the parents said. And the East Valley Tribune reported that the boy said he didn't intend for the picture to be a threat.

Administrators of Payne Junior High in nearby Chandler suspended the boy on Monday for five days but later reduced it to three days.

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The boy's father, Ben Mosteller, said that when he went to the school to discuss his son's punishment, school officials mentioned the seriousness of the issue and talked about the massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School, where two teenagers shot and killed 12 students, a teacher and themselves in 1999. Mosteller said he was offended by the reference.

Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke said the crude sketch was "absolutely considered a threat," and that threatening words or pictures are punishable.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I know what I think of it: that the school is way out of line here. Our oldest (15) loves sketching guns and has done so since he was 7 or 8 -- and the drawings are highly-detailed and extremely accurate.

I am not one for frivolous lawsuits, but I think one in this instance would have merit. And I'd like to see the school official reprimanded for such ludicrous behavior.

Yeah this is stupid, sue them for sure. I just don't understand people sometimes.

Typical example of wht the media and others have brought our country to. Sad state of affairs.

the poor kid could have pissed in a jar and dropped a crucifix in it and he would have gotten an art award.

I just e-mailed this Letter To The Editor -- Arizona Republic. -TONY

Leave Your Rambo Lunchbox At home

How absurd will it get before people start applying common sense to each individual situation?

Chandler district spokesman Terry Locke's assertion that young Mosteller's drawing of a firearm was "absolutely considered a threat" is ludicrous. Did Mr. Locke think the kid would then make paper bullets to assassinate other students?

In contrast, Ben Mosteller was dead on -- can I say that without being arrested by Sheriff Joe? -- when he felt offended by the Columbine reference. Calling someone's kid a potential murderer is never a good idea unless the evidence is foolproof.

Just think, during his elementary school days my youngest son used a metal lunchbox with Rambo (Stallone) prominently displayed with a military-style assault rifle in his clutches. Of course, that was pre-Columbine before teachers and their administrators went into a CYA mode and overreacted to harmless nothings. Today, they would probably confiscate my son's lunch box, as well as the dangerous package of throwable assault Twinkies and suspend him indefinitely.

Whada country, huh?




Tony Mandile
Glendale, AZ

tony - let us know if the letter is printed.

thanks -

ron

I really wish I could say that this is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of, but that would be a lie. It's still stupid though, and would certainly warrant some kind of legal action from me. To liken my son or daughter to known murders would piss me off for sure.

You know, times really have changed. My senior year, a classmate and I were discussing a .22 Magnum rifle of mine that he was going to try out over the weekend and possibly buy. The teacher was interested, and it turned into a 3-way conversation. It was near the end of the day -- just before the last bell would ring -- and the teacher asked it I had it with me. I did, so we brought it into the building and had a look at it.

There were no odd looks from anyone. Guns were part of life back then in rural America and didn't have the be left at home.During hunting season, you could see rifles in gun racks parked at the school; in dove season, there was a shotgun or two in the vehicles of most of the older boys.

In this day and age, I would have been shot to death by a SWAT team.

No, I am not saying guns belong is schools. I am simply showing how things have changed in less than 3 decades.

with all the emphasis being put on education today, why do all their weird ideas seem to come out of the education system. perhaps its time to cut it rather than expand it

Hope that one gets published Tony.... I guess the wild west just isn't any kind of wild anymore...

I too am not a fan of frivolous lawsuits but this one wouldn't be frivolous...

Ken....

Absolute stupidity in action.

How about they make every student, teacher, administrator take a gun safety course and educate themselves about guns. Make it part of PE class. Actually let these kids shoot guns, then there won't be the hysteria asociated with them.

What am I thinking? The education system actually educating?

In high school we had a shooting sports program. This was in the mid 80's. Our shop, firearms, reloading equipment and supplies were located in the basement of the administration building!

What get's me is the simple fact how Columbine and the Virginia Tech situations could have been neutralized if ONE person that knew how to use a firearm was actually carrying it and did.

SDhunter wrote:

quote:

What get's me is the simple fact how Columbine and the Virginia Tech situations could have been neutralized if ONE person that knew how to use a firearm was actually carrying it and did.

Those are my sentiments exactly...

The Virginia Tech shooter gave many signs of being a danger including setting a fire in the dorm !! They all give signs that everyone ignores ......The worst hysteria, if anyone remembers, was that of Congress in an attempt to ban a gun.The gun had never been imported to this country, in fact it had never been made . It only existed as a drawing in Europe !!!

My grandson, who lives in Logan, Utah had the same experience last year. He sketched a gun while at school and was threatened with expulsion for doing so. The only thing that saved him is the fact that he has muscular dystrophy and is bound to a wheelchair.
Later, his class was assigned to compose a paper on a local person of significance. My grandson chose John Moses Browning. He centered his paper on the guns that had been invented by Mr. Browning and included pictures of all of the guns on which Mr. Browning had patents.

brassbender wrote: "Later, his class was assigned to compose a paper on a local person of significance. My grandson chose John Moses Browning. He centered his paper on the guns that had been invented by Mr. Browning and included pictures of all of the guns on which Mr. Browning had patents."


Kudos go out to your grandson. And shame on the school district for even the threat of expulsion.

I used to break down the double 410,put it in a trash bag and take it to school on the bus.put it in my locker all day, and ride a different bus to my friends house to go grouse hunting on weekends.Ammo,too.

What a load of bullshit!! I used to sketch guns all the time in my textbooks and on my homework, and hell, I'm only 19 and that was only a few years ago. Everybody knew I was really into hunting, so they never thought anything of it. Sad, ridiculous situation!!

I would say "unbelievable" but unfortunately it is all too believable.

To think that this crew of morons is responsible for educating our children!

I only have two things to say about this.

1. What unmitigated BULLSHIT!

2. If it was my kid, me and that principal would both have to go to the hospital. Him to get my shoe out of his ass and me to get my shoe back.
HEY! Mr, Princial asshole. on you.
Paul B.

What hysterical Horseshit.

What will they do next, ban history books that show pictures of the civil war with pictures of guns and cannons?

They gonna throw kids in juvinal hall for playing cowboys and indians at recess?

Disappointing news, but no surprise to me.

A good friend of mine got a call from his son's principal. The principal said that his son was going to get a three-day suspension for bringing ammunition to school. The kid had brought in a PAINTBALL! Since when does a plastic ball full of paint = ammunition???

Another good friend used to get on the school bus daily with his rifle, which he brought in to the school as part of his membership on the school's rifle team (.22 cal.). Never see those days again, either.

As sportsmen, gun owners, whatever you call yourselves, this is yet another reminder to keep up the good work in EDUCATING those who don't have a clue about guns, ammunition, hunting, etc. It's also another reminder to take a youngster or new person out small game hunting this upcoming season so that we can try to keep up the "tradition".

I wish I could say I'm surprised or shocked but living In AZ for almost 20 years has jaded me.

For a supposedly republican state, The Arizona education system sure is....um....Liberal....no, thats the wrong word......Oh, I know...Assanine, Stupid, A Cluster$%@# !!!

My local friends and I have tried to bombard the school with letters and phone calls to reject this kind of absolute lack of common sense. I would encourage others to do the same.

We the gun owners of America need to be the squeaky wheel.

Payne Junior High
Principal | Mrs. Karen Martin
7655 S. Higley Rd.
Queen Creek, AZ 85242
Phone: (480) 224-2400
Fax: (480) 224-2420
Grades: 7-8
Students: 950

quote:

He centered his paper on the guns that had been invented by Mr. Browning and included pictures of all of the guns on which Mr. Browning had patents.

As a teacher with over 30 years, I too feel it is totally stupid. My school district passed a rule two years ago, making it illegal to have a gun anywhere on school property. Prior to that, I often brought a gun in my car to school so I could go out hunting later that day after school let out. I never hid the fact that I hunted - even today, I am about the only teacher in our school that has guns & shoots. Kids are always talking hunting/shooting with me. We as a society have lost all common sense.

quote:

We as a society have lost all common sense.

Now that is putting it succinctly ...

Ken....

When I was in high school in central Texas and had an out period, I would go down to the ROTC class, draw out a Remington 40-X and spend the time shooting on the school range - usually unsupervised. After school I would take my truck with the shotgun in the window gun rack and go dove hunting.

I hate the way we've become.

JDS

quote:

Originally posted by taylorj:
As a teacher with over 30 years, I too feel it is totally stupid. My school district passed a rule two years ago, making it illegal to have a gun anywhere on school property. Prior to that, I often brought a gun in my car to school so I could go out hunting later that day after school let out. I never hid the fact that I hunted - even today, I am about the only teacher in our school that has guns & shoots. Kids are always talking hunting/shooting with me. We as a society have lost all common sense.

taylorj,

Keep up the good work. The good teachers are true treasures, and all of us know that. The bad ones, and what's worse, the bad administrators, on the other hand, will try one's patience and capacity for forgiveness . . .

But I don't paint with a broad brush, and I do not want you to forget that we parents do appreciate those among the academic ranks who still possess good and common sense.

Kids do enough real mischief these days that we don't need hysterical teachers and administrators to manufacture any!

Hell, in my high school days (in California)I used to keep my 06 in a rack in my pickup on school grounds during hunting season. During night-time football games I sometimes brought it into the locker room. The times have definitely changed. Lou