When A Picture is Worth a Suspension From School

A New Jersey school's zero-tolerance policy went into effect after a 7-year-old student drew a gun. He didn't literally pull a gun - rather, he drew a picture of himself and another student "David" and the drawing of himself showed him holding a gun. But that was enough for Kyle McDevitt to earn a suspension from Dennis Township Primary School.

Kyle apparently gave the drawing to David on the bus, and David's parents alerted the school. Kyle's mother said she wasn't worried because Kyle says he had draw a water pistol - not a real gun. Shirley McDevitt wondered, "Are they abusing the zero-tolerance law? I'm sure it's a judgment call, but when does the law start? What I'm told is it's the time we live in. Is it the time we live in when a little boy can't draw a picture?" She added she told Kyle not to draw guns in school anymore.

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By Jen Chung in News on October 22, 2007 12:51 PM

Comments [rss]

Asian_Al_Sharpton

This demands that we storm the school library and burn the encyclopedias!

They have pictures of General Patton with his ivory-handled revolvers and a tank!

They have books with pictures of Revolutionary War soldiers with muskets!

Volume "C" contains the biography of Carbine Williams!

Martin Luther King describes how he is killed by a gun!

Burn all the books!

Kojak

What a terrible picture. The child should have been suspended for lack of talent.

This deserves nothing more than a couple days without recess.

Tgirl

drawings don't kill people, people kill people

TimSPC

Suspension aside, you can tell just by looking at the kid that he's going to be a bad seed. His father should guide him ala Dexter.

MarygraceNYC

Over reaction is better then no reaction at all.

And yes, this is damage control.

Tgirl

poor David... his parents are such douche-bags

JenChungsBaby

What the hell is wrong with the stupid parents who objected to the drawing in the first place?

Secondly, what the hell is wrong with the stupid school administrators who suspended the kid for drawing a water pistol?

Thirdly, I hope the kid has a really fun time while he's on suspension.

Mike B.

What happens when word gets out that drawing guns will get you sent home from school? This is not planning ahead.

GeneralLee

David looks rather happy to be shot in the face in the drawing.

Perhaps that's the real problem - 7 year old assisted suicide?

LOL @ Nick S

jenchungsgrammar

I wrote a whole BOOK (probably 10 pages with illustrations :) ) in 3rd grade about a tank that shot bullets that would pierce armor and inject molten lava into the other tanks. WTF.

ed_Extinct

times have changed.

RatherBeBiking

Amazing. Every single picture I drew in elementary school had guns in it.

slappy

This isn't care, its risk management alla corporate offices. Dumbed down repressive approach to real societal problems. Wrong direction. Wrong message. Dontcha think that having stupid leaders is worse than having no leaders at all? Hey! Now there's an idea! Time to read Bakunin.

matthew

idiotic.

zodak

Hooray! we're only a few steps away from thought-crimes!

i can't wait.

JRod5417

That doesn't even look like a gun. It could be a wallet.

diabolix

Proof again that we are more concerned with white kids drawing guns in the suburbs rather than helping kids who go to schools where guns are a far more commonplace occurance. I'd love to see the parents who "alerted" the school about the drawing and the school itself should be sued by the parents of the illustrator for violation of the child's free speech and for undue harassment.

pik

I agree with Amanda.

Better throw out his toy guns too.

And his water pistols.

You'll confuse the poor boy otherwise.

Nick S

oh well, at least the kid has a chance to practice his sweet bmx moves.

Amanda Harletsch

Dumb when guns real and toys are totallly legal in society...a JOKE! totally incongruent policies

HughGass

I blame the parents for being the hysterical protectors they've become ... padded playgrounds, helmets on tricycles and carseats at 12 years old.

dbc

I'm curious as to why David's parents didn't reach out to Kyle's folks before alerting the school.

Dave Hogarty

When I was ten, I think I would've been suspended under suspicion that I might commandeer a fighter jet and fire a slew of rockets at my elementary school.

bxbrian

This is rather ridiculous

Rocknrope

Give me a break.

Elderta

Well, these days, schools really can't be too careful. It's a shame that it has come down to that. I can only imagine the names the other kids are going to call him when he gets back to school.