Boy nearly suspended for bringing toy gun to school.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 9-year-old New Dorp boy earlier today learned there is no wiggle room in the Department of Education's "no toy gun" policy -- even if the toy gun is just two inches long.

Patrick Timoney, a fourth-grader at PS 52, South Beach, was nearly suspended after playing with LEGOs during his lunch period because one of the action figures was carrying at toy machine gun.

He and his friends had planned a playdate with their respective toys, and were sitting around the cafeteria table when the principal walked in and saw the action figure carrying the fake gun.

While the action figure was a standard LEGO policeman figure, the brand of the gun could not be determined.

"She took him into her office in the middle of the lunch period and he was crying," said the boy's mother, Laura Timoney. "He was afraid."

The principal called Ms. Timoney and said she considered the toy suspension-worthy, and that she was going to double-check with a security administrator from the city Department of Education.

According to Ms. Timoney, the administrator said the toy should be confiscated and returned to the parents at the end of the day, and that no other action was necessary.

"It's crazy," Ms. Timoney said. "He's missing class time, all for silly toys. The boys are just trying to relax. If there's a real threat, why not call the Police Department?"

She pointed out that another child had an action figure that was holding an ax, but that only Patrick was reprimanded.

"When are we going to take responsibility for common sense and logic?" Ms. Timoney said.

The DOE's discipline code says that all imitation weapons are prohibited, but, before considering suspension, it is up to a principal to decide whether a fake gun looks realistic, by evaluating the color, size, shape, appearance and weight.

A message left for Principal Evelyn Matroianni was not returned. However, Margie Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the DOE, said there is a no-tolerance policy when it comes to fake guns because they are considered harmful to the school community.

"Toy guns are not allowed in schools," she said, adding that a conference was held among the principal, the parents and the student about the topic.

"The issue was resolved," Ms. Feinberg said. "The child will not be bringing the toy gun into school.


Over reaction? Appropriate reaction being that he was only "disciplined" and not suspened? Can we not use common sense to see that this 2 inch plastic "weapon" is in now way a threat to safety?

I realize this is over a year old, but what the hell...

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When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates

This fits here.

Definately!

This kid is going to remember that day for the rest of his life now and there is no telling what type of psycholgical issues he is going to have. It's sad because we are paying the salary's of these so called adults and they are over reacting in these situations. If they felt this was such a severe offense then they should just have a no toys policy enforced at the school. Kids are kids and they need to be treated as such, not as adults!

If you think about it they are passing on "having no common sense" to the kid. When he gets older he probably will also have no common sense or tolerance in that type of situation.

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The decisions we make dictate the life we have.
Follow your dreams, for those that do not will only try to discourage others.

Zero Tolerance is a sign of stupidity!

Common Sense is intelligent!

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This pretty much just falls under give me a fucking break. I mean reaction from me to the school if they called me for something like that busting out laughing my ass off . Seriously a toy gun what a quarter of a freakin inch? Good lord

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“I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life.... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes.”~Frank Sinatra~

Zero tolerance with common sense please.

Most of the boys I grew up around did that too. Now they can't do that. Think we're raising a bunch of sissies or pacifists that hate war and violence?

Next they'll be removing all pictures of guns and weapons from the school books. This is truly just plain sad and I hope this teacher is remembered for being an idiot. Seriously a "fake" or replica weapon has to look like a real and functional one. There is no way to mistake a gun smaller than your pinky for something functional.
This goes in the same category as charging kindergarteners who really shouldn't know what sex is with sexual harassment for pantsing each other or kissing on the playground. At least this kids won't have something like sexual harassment on his school transcripts.

Common sense is dead...will it ever be successfully resurrected?

I've tried to stay out of this thread due to my somewhat one-sided views... ain't I been a good boy? Up until now.

Here's the problem with "zero tolerance" policies. There are always people who either are lawyers, have lawyers in the family, or can afford to hire lawyers at the drop of a hat. If you have a policy that allows for the governing body to be able to use discretion, then each issue will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. And no matter how the leadership decides any particular case, there will be some asshats that will disagree with the decision made. This is especially true if the issue is an extremely polarizing one like guns.

So an issue arises, the Principal make his decision on the issue, and then anyone that disagrees with his decision will get the lawyers involved. Before you know it, thousands have been spent defending the Principal's decision.

It's cheaper just to have a blanket "zero tolerance" policy, and when the issue arises, and people threaten to get lawyers involved, everyone can simply say, "That's our policy."

Oh wow deadpool finally makes sense :D. Common sense over zero tolerance all day everyday. The headmistress was obviously being over zealous for no apparent reason