Zero Tolerance: Ariz. Student Suspended For Picture of a Gun

Since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, schools across the nation have taken a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to anything related to guns—from a six-year-old pointing a finger like a gun to a third-grader bringing in a key chain in the shape of a gun, no incident is too trivial to be punished for. The most recent example of hyper-paranoia comes out of Florence, Ariz., where a high school student was suspended because he made the desktop background on his school-issued computer a picture of a gun.

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A teacher noticed it and turned him in.

The picture shows an AK-47 on top of a flag.

McClaine said the school initially suspended him for three days Friday.

Since the laptop belongs to the school, the district policy states students are prohibited from “sending or displaying offensive messages or pictures,” and cannot access, send, create or forward pictures that are considered “harassing, threatening, or illegal.”

McClaine said he read the guidelines but does not consider the picture threatening to anyone.

“This gun wallpaper does not show anything that’s violent. It’s not showing anybody getting shot in any way. It’s just a picture of a gun. It’s nothing — nobody getting shot, nobody getting it pointed at them, it’s nothing,” said McClaine.

McClaine said the gun is not his. He’s interested in joining the military and said he found it on the internet. […]

Daniel’s father said after ABC15 contacted the school, the administration backed down and will let his son return to school on Monday instead of Wednesday.

“To me it’s ridiculous. Three days for a picture? It wasn’t like he was standing in front of the school holding the gun,” said Daniel McClaine Sr. “He should have got a warning. He shouldn’t have ever been suspended. Not for something so frivolous.”

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