Boy, 7, suspended for chewing pastry into shape of gun, pointing it and saying 'bang, bang'
In the latest example of a zero-tolerance policy concerning weapons brought to school that some see as having been taken to an extreme, a 7-year-old boy was suspended for two days over a breakfast pastry.
The unidentified student at Park Elementary School in Baltimore, Md., is the son of William “B.J.” Welch, who explained that his son nibbled the pastry into a gun-like shape, then said “bang,bang,” reports the Washington Post. It is disputed whether the child pointed the pastry at the ceiling or another student.
“In my eyes, it’s irrelevant; I don’t care who he pointed it at,” said Welch. “It was harmless. It was a danish.”
The father said he is concerned about references to guns now included in his son’s school records.
School officials in Anne Arundel County declined to comment, citing confidentiality laws. However, a letter to parents from an assistant principal said a student had “used food to make inappropriate gestures that disrupted the class” and offered counseling to any student who might need it.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Imaginary weapon gets 7-year-old a real school suspension”
Baltimore Sun: “Park Elementary second-grader suspended for making pastry in shape of a gun”
