Fourth Grader Suspended for Gun Drawing

Debra Johnson reports, "A fourth-grader at Bunnell Elementary School (Florida) received a 10-day suspension for drawing a picture of himself shooting another pupil with a laser gun."

Bunnell fourth-grader suspended over gun drawing
By DEBRA JOHNSON ()
Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 14, 2001

BUNNELL (FLORIDA) - A fourth-grader at Bunnell Elementary School received a 10-day suspension for drawing a picture of himself shooting another pupil with a laser gun.

Flagler County School Superintendent Robert Williams confirmed Tuesday that the youngster was suspended Friday by Principal Kate Godbee. Williams would not identify the child.

A report from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said the 9-year-old drew the picture and left it on his desk Thursday while he went to the restroom. Another pupil picked up the picture and took it to the teacher, Joann Hitz.

The report said Hitz "was so concerned with the content of the picture" she gave it to two other pupils to take to Godbee and Assistant Principal Phyllis Pearson. Godbee issued the suspension.

The pupil told school authorities he drew the picture because the child represented in the picture had been teasing him and calling him names.

The suspension began Friday and will mean the child will be out of school all this week, a four-day week; and all five days next week, which then leads into the March 26 Spring Break week for county schools. The boy will be eligible to return to school April 2.

Superintendent Williams defended the suspension Tuesday, saying it followed the district's "no tolerance" policy regarding student conduct and violence toward other students and teachers. That means action can be taken over any act deemed severe by the administration, according to the guidelines.

"We take a strong stance on that," he said.

For the 9-year old, the suspension means the youngster also missed this week's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, which is one of the factors used to determine whether fourth-grade pupils will be promoted or retained. Williams said the pupil would be allowed to make up the missed test.

The superintendent added that the district is not focusing just on the suspension. "We are looking to find some help for the child," Williams said. "We are looking at some counseling. We are not taking this lightly."

Ken Fisher, father of the suspended fourth-grader, said Tuesday night that although he is disappointed, he understands the school's action.

"With all that's been going on in the schools everywhere - the shootings, I'm not surprised that the school (officials) would react this way," Fisher said.

His son was angry when he drew the picture, Fisher said, but he had no intention of carrying out any such act.

"You've got to know him. He's a good kid. He didn't understand (the suspension) at first, but now he knows he can't draw pictures like that," Fisher said.

He added that his son and the youngster in the picture are friends and play on the same soccer team.

"We don't have guns in our house and my son has not been around guns. He will go to some counseling, which he'll pass with flying colors and then he'll be back in school," Fisher said.

Al Martinez, the father of the child portrayed as the victim in the picture, said Tuesday he was disappointed with the 10-day suspension.

"They didn't seem to take things seriously. It was like it was a joke," Martinez said. "He should have gotten a little more than what he got when (he) threatened a person."

The Bunnell man said he was not aware that his son had reportedly been teasing the suspended fourth-grader.

"Nobody told me," he said, adding that he had not seen the picture drawn by his son's classmate.

Martinez said counseling for the suspended pupil would be acceptable to him and his family.

The suspension follows a pattern of consequences for schoolchildren throughout the country because of zero tolerance.

But Williams said he doesn't like to use the term.

"I think zero tolerance takes on different meanings for different people," Williams said.

However, another Sheriff's Office report last Friday said that a 15-year-old Flagler Palm Coast High School athlete on a team bus threatened to shoot another athlete on the bus. The report said no criminal charges were filed and the school was handling the case.

Williams said Tuesday he was unaware of the case and Principal Larry Hunsinger could not be reached for comment.

Posted by glenn at April 1, 2001 03:23 AM | TrackBack