A 13-year-old student attending a virtual class from home on a snow day was suspended after a teacher saw him playing with a toy gun he had received for Christmas. The incident occurred at Spring Grove Middle School in York County, Pennsylvania, after the boy showed his gift to the teacher.
The student’s mother received a call from the school and returned home, only to find that a police officer was waiting outside her house. The officer confiscated the toy gun and informed her that the child would be charged with disorderly conduct.
Although the student did not threaten anyone, school officials suspended the 13-year-old for three days while deciding on further disciplinary action, the boy’s mother told the Evening Sun.
The school superintendent justified the decision by saying officials could not be sure if the weapon were real.
Four years ago, another boy was suspended for playing with a toy gun during a Zoom school session in Colorado.
The seventh grader was attending on online art class in 2020 when a teacher saw a neon green and black toy handgun with an orange tip with the words “Zombie Hunter” printed on the side.
The boy’s parents told Good Morning America they are frustrated over how the situation was handled. The suspension later was removed from the boy’s school record.