Last week, Cam wrote about a Colorado teen who was suspended from school following a range trip with his mother. He posted a video of himself plinking at the range, which sparked outrage at the school apparently. In this day and age, even normal shooting behavior is problematic and must be punished.

He did nothing wrong and made nothing that could be construed as a threat. The police immediately cleared him after the video was reported, probably because only an idiot would see a problem. Unfortunately, the school was filled with idiots because they booted him from class.

Luckily, justice prevailed this time. It seems the young man is now able to return to class.

Last week, we publicized the story of a 16 year old Loveland High student who was banned from school after posting a video on Snapchat of him shooting with his mom. The school banned him even after police investigated the “threat report” and instantly cleared him. After the story broke, community members, and even elected officials contacted school admin and district board members to express their disapproval of this blatant violation of the student’s civil liberties, as well as the complete disregard for parental rights. And it undoubtedly had an effect.

The threat assessment hearing took place and the student has been cleared to return to class.

The school officials came prepared with a packet of his homework, and stated they believed him to be a good kid and never thought he was making threats against the school. They acknowledged that his classmates may now react differently to him (I mean, he’s practically been accused of being the next school shooter, right?) and offered to make sure no one gave him trouble.

The SRO who was present agreed that the Safe 2 Tell system is sometimes used inappropriately by students wishing to anonymously seek revenge on another student. School officials also cautioned Nate to not post these types of activities on social media. The mother quickly reminded them that this is his First Amendment they’re talking about, and although she gets their point, that is a dangerous slope they’re heading down.

The mother is 100 percent correct. The student, Nate Evans, has a right to share whatever kind of information about his life he wants to so long as it comports with the social media’s terms of service. For the school to warn him not to post these kinds of things, especially in light of what had just transpired, is an ominous warning that needs to be hammered down.

Schools, however, seem inclined to do these kinds of things all the time. In fact, the threat assessment hearing shouldn’t have even been required. There was nothing here to even suggest that Evans was a threat.

Except that he was shooting.

Using a firearm used to be a time-honored tradition that almost everyone engaged in during their youth, at least in rural parts of the country. Today, it’s been stigmatized so that even mundane range trips are treated like training for a mass shooting. They’re not and it’s high time we stop empowering the ninnies that think it’s their duty to destroy lives based on their own hysterical fears.

At least Evans can return to class. If it happens again, I suggest involving attorneys.