# Child suspended after threatining teacher with deadly weapon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 10, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936 "2001-02-10T19:55:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/1 "2001-02-10T19:55:42Z")
Just in case you missed this nugget: > **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/2 "2001-02-10T19:57:30Z")
Actually, he was “threatening”:o ---
**Author:** ![tubagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@tubagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tubagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/3 "2001-02-10T20:12:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Sullivan said the school has zero-tolerance rules because the public wants them. Was it just me, or was that article written really bad. It was hard to read because the sentences where so short and had no point. As for the issue, I think it is rediculous to have suspended him. He did not threaten her with any weapon at all. He pointed a damn peice of chicken at his teacher and said “pow pow pow.” He is only 8 years old. It was probly frustration with the teacher. If he was frustrated with the teacher, that is probly the reason she had him suspended from school. He may have been a burden of a student to her. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/4 "2001-02-10T20:21:54Z")
In a weird way, I can sort of understand _this_ one. I’m not saying that I think the suspension was right–I don’t. But the boy should definitely have been given a good talking-to. I mean, this was in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and they _did_ have a deadly shooting there a few years ago. They aren’t going to put up with _any_ violence there, pretend or not. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/5 "2001-02-10T20:22:35Z")
My first thought is that the suspension is ridiculous and absurd. However, playing the devil’s advocate for a moment, there really is no way of knowing from our vantage point the general behavior of the boy accused. Suppose he was always seen as somewhat disturbed and morally unbalanced? Then wouldn’t his behavior now be seen as another ‘red flag’ of the macabre development of his behavior? I still think it’s absurd. But I was a journalist once, too. When writing news articles, you usually don’t get enough space to tell the -whole- story. ---
**Author:** ![AETBOND417](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@AETBOND417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AETBOND417)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/6 "2001-02-10T20:30:55Z")
I don’t agree with the punishment. While it was noted that this was in Jonesboro, the child was **5** when the shooting happened. We don’t know if he remembers, understands, or even knows about the shooting or its impact. Due to the terse sentences and lack of information contained in the article, I can’t really develop my opinion further. ---
**Author:** ![Grok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Grok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grok)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/7 "2001-02-10T21:06:25Z")
I’m a teacher, and I can tell you that most of the time when a kid is suspended, even for seemingly silly reasons as this appears to be, it’s because the kid has a history. I would guess that the kid had a history of poor behavior and disrespect toward the teacher. Of course, the teacher could also have been a moron and not known how to handle him. The point is, we weren’t there and we don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Sang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee7513/32.png) [@Le\_Sang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Sang)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/8 "2001-02-10T21:49:11Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not the object in the hand, it’s the thought in the mind. This part seriously bothers me. Since when does anyone have the right to tell me what I can and cannot _think_? Unless and until I do something that actually harms someone, I have done nothing wrong. Apparently this conecpt is now beyond some people… ---
**Author:** ![PRNYouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PRNYouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRNYouth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/child-suspended-after-threatining-teacher-with-deadly-weapon/53936/9 "2001-02-11T03:17:37Z")
Despite my nearly irrational fear of revealing too much about myself on the Internet, I must post here. Let’s just say that I have close ties to Jonesboro, Arkansas. (OK, I LIVE there … are you happy now?? :D) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by \*_Grok:_ > I’m a teacher, and I can tell you that most of the time when a kid is suspended, even for seemingly silly reasons as this appears to be, it’s because the kid has a history. > > I would guess that the kid had a history of poor behavior and disrespect toward the teacher.\*\* I have no cite for any of this, because it’s local gossip, more or less, but I’ve heard it from several trusted friends who are within the school system. **Grok** has it right, apparently. This was apparently something of a “last straw” situation for this child. It’s also said that his older brother was actually suspended previously for actually bringing a weapon of some sort (knife or firearm, I can’t remember) to school. Again, insert _allegedly_ before all of those statements, because I don’t vouch for the truth of those rumors. Believe it or not, Jonesboro schools don’t seem overly preoccupied with security – at least not to the point that it interferes with the educational process. We have excellent schools, and as someone who is in the schools often, I can say that with some certainty. So there’s my two cents.