Add this to the very long list of zero tolerance insanity:
Via Jonathan Turley, a 13-year old New Jersey boy (doesn’t it always seem to be boys?) was summarily suspended when another student complained he was twirling a pencil in a weapons-like manner:
In New Jersey, Glen Meadow Middle School has added its own bizarre entry in the ever-lengthening list of zero tolerance insanity. According to Ethan Chaplin, he was suspended for twirling a pencil in math class. He says that a student, who have been allegedly bullying him, yelled to the teacher that “He’s making gun motions, send him to juvie.” The school responded by suspending Chaplin and the Vernon Schools Superintendent Charles Maranzano insists that it is the only appropriate response because he must investigate any time that a student claims to be uncomfortable or threatened by another student.Chaplin’s father, Michael Chaplin, was so outraged that he took the step of recording a conversation between himself, the school’s principal and guidance counselor — and then posted it on YouTube. It is not clear from the article if this was done with consent but the absence of any allegation of unlawful recording suggests that it was a legal or consensual taping.
I haven’t been able to find that recording on YouTube, so if someone has a link, please post in comments. More at the News 12 website, including comments and updates by the father.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY