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Third Grader Expelled Over Hit List
Filed under: In The News
Should a child be expelled for making a hit list? Photo: Nicole Holte, sxc.hu
The principal of the school, Michael Mayo, says that despite the fact that he does not believe the boy to be dangerous, he had no choice but to permanently remove him from the small private school.
"We never believed for a second that people were truly in danger," says school principal Michael Mayo. "But this sort of thing in this day and age, you just can't do that. It will never be acceptable."
The boy is described as "troubled" and Mayo says he has received counseling in the past. "We still care for this person and we are in constant prayer, for that person now," says Mayo.
Police are investigating the incident but no charges have been filed.
Do you think the school overreacted by expelling the boy despite the fact they don't feel he is a threat to anyone? Or is this the wake up call his parents need to get their son some help?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
5-05-2009 @ 3:12PM
Katty said...I think the school had to do it, they have to protect all the students, not just the one, I mean I know that some will say he's in 3rd grade, but there have been cases of young kids killing other people and in the end, this child obviously needs help and should get it before it is too late for him. This note is a cry for help and I hope that is what he gets.
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5-05-2009 @ 3:49PM
SKL said...Sounds like this was really the straw that broke the camel's back.
The child needs special help that may not be available in that private school.
I think if this were an isolated incident in a public school, I'd have to see more evidence that the child is a danger. The behavior itself is not really a big deal. Kids write nonsense to vent their frustrations but most never go beyond that. I don't see how we prevent normal kids from venting in a foolish but private way. We can't sit our primary-school kids down and read them a mile-long list of all the things they must never write, draw, say, wear, etc., and then kick them out of school if they do anything on the list.
The idea that a remote, unproven possibility of violence is enough to expel a child is ridiculous. If that is the case, we'd better close all the schools immediately, because there is no school child who doesn't have a remote chance of either perpretrating or being the victim of violence.
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5-06-2009 @ 4:48PM
maritza said...i realy dont see a harm in him doin dat. i once did it and then laughed the next day wen i saw it and threw it away. i think the ones they should b focusin on r the people in dat list. they are probably harmful. they probably bullied the poor boy. dats y i wrote mine.
watevr the case at least the lil boy is out of that scool where he was bulied or wat not.
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5-07-2009 @ 9:19AM
bromas said...Absolutely. Regardless of age, this has to be taken seriously in all cases. You don't have to be a certain age to be a threat. An eleven year olf just shot his mother, while she was sleeping.
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5-07-2009 @ 10:10AM
Mary Sullivan said...I'm not sure why they went for expulsion vs. suspension. I think the behavior needs to be taken seriously, not only for the other kids' welfare but the hit-list writer's, too. Permanent explusion seems like a bit of an overreaction. They could have tried--
--Suspend the kid
--Require that before returning, he and his family seek appropriate prof'l help, and the family must give permission for the school to talk with the counselor(s) or doctors they see...the school needs to know if something like bullying is an underlying cause, something that is happening on their watch.
If the family is already very involved in counseling, then suspension might not be necessary--just a ton more communcation between family, school, and counselors.
I would hope the behavior would be taken seriously even if he were in a public school. All kids deserve to be safe at school, whether it's public or private.
Mary
http://www.squidoo.com/momwear
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5-07-2009 @ 11:13AM
SKL said...The reason I made the distinction about a public school is that public schools are obligated to give the child special services such as counseling if he needs them, while private schools are free to give up on a child who requires resources the school doesn't have.
5-20-2009 @ 12:51PM
Mrs. Wiker said...Wow, people are still so blind to the truth even when it socks you in the face! In the day and age we are living in... Seven, eight and nine year olds are committing murder. Kids even younger have been accused of horrible crimes. Rape, theft and much more. The kid should of been thrown out of school and taken to a hospital were perfessionals can evaluate him for atleast a year. If we do not step in and help to prevent and fix our kids. It will and is going to get much worse. Don't ever forget all the kids that have lost there lives in school shooting in the passed 10 years!
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