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Toy gun may cause student's expulsion

March 16, 2000

TECUMSEH - A fifth-grade boy who was suspended for taking a toy gun to school because he wanted to play "James Bond'' could be expelled for up to 180 days.

Last week, a boy told friends on a school bus that he had a toy gun in his backpack, Superintendent Rich Fauble said yesterday. The school refused to release the boy's name.

After school officials found the toy gun, the boy was suspended for 10 days pending a hearing.

The school board will meet Wednesday to review the case and determine whether the boy will be expelled.

Because Michigan law carries a zero tolerance policy for weapons - real or "look-alike'' - administrators say they were forced to suspend the boy. Board members will have an attorney present to help them decide whether the law requires them to expel the child.

"You could see it was plastic,'' Mr. Fauble said. "If you looked at it, you could tell it wasn't a gun. But according to police, it could be considered a gun, a look-alike weapon.''

Sutton Elementary School Principal Debra Langmeyer said the board is recommending expulsion.

"Personally, that might seem extreme. But we have to send a message that even toy guns, because of the look-alike nature, can't be dealt with,'' Ms. Langmeyer said.

"It saddens me that we're in this day and age that we have to split hairs over this. I used to have a drawer full of squirt guns. We confiscated them from the children and gave them back on the last day of school,'' she said.

But several parents present at a school board meeting Monday night were critical of how the incident was handled.

School officials were first alerted to the toy gun when the bus reached Sutton School. A student notified a teaching assistant, who told Ms. Langmeyer.

She was waiting for another student who had been injured and asked the driver to search the bus.

When the bus driver failed to find a toy gun, Ms. Langmeyer told her to continue to Herrick Park School.

Ms. Langmeyer said a preoccupation with the injured child kept her from responding differently.

"I have apologized to all kinds of people,'' said Ms. Langmeyer, a 22-year educator. "I made an error. "That bus should never have left Sutton School. I haven't slept in four nights. What if something would have happened? "I should have called police. I should have yelled or sent for someone to help me, even if was a librarian or custodian.''

Instead, Ms. Langmeyer called Herrick School to alert them to the situation, then helped the injured child. By the time she reached Herrick School, police were already on the scene and the boy had turned over the toy gun.

"He sai'I just wanted to play with it at recess. I didn't want to hurt anybody. I play with it at home,' '' Mr. Fauble said.

Recent school shootings have left parents and educators fearful of similar tragedies in their communities. On Feb. 29, a Flint, Mich., first-grader fatally shot Kayla Rolland, 6, with a handgun he took to school.

Two years ago, a Tecumseh high school student was suspended for one year after terrorizing a teacher with a squirt gun.

Gone are the days when children can bring a squirt gun or plastic knife to school. In Michigan, that is grounds for immediate suspension.

"A kid could even be nailed for waving a pencil at a kid in anger,'' said Dr. Edward Tritt, school board president. "But what does this warrant? The kid is a model student and just made a wrong choice. It's a sad situation. I hate the idea of putting a label on a fifth grade kid or see him kicked out of school.''

) 1999, 2000 The Blade, All Rights Reserved. http://www.toledoblade.com/editorial/news/0c16gun.htm

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 16, 2000

Answers

Most toy gun manufacturers make their "weapons" bright colors now, I know that water guns MUSt have bright Orange, Pink or Green on them.

Even as Adults, when we attend role playing conventions that involve "live action" games, we have to check our "weapons" in for inspection. They have to be bright colors (which makes us feel silly but oh well) (Actually, I'm sure we look silly enough already)

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), March 16, 2000.

She was waiting for another student who had been injured and asked the driver to search the bus.
When the bus driver failed to find a toy gun, Ms. Langmeyer told her to continue to Herrick Park School.

Sounds like a lawsuit to me. A bus driver is NOT a cop and cannot search a students possesions without a warrent even if there is 'probable cause'. -TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.CON), March 16, 2000.