NJ fifth-grader suspended for bringing a foam 'bullet' to school

[jnelsoninjax]

New Jersey fifth-grader Aarin Moody got a lesson in his school's zero tolerance policy after being suspended all of last week for bringing a foam Nerf gun bullet to school, according to his mom.

The Atlantic City boy was reaching for a note from his mom when the spongy projectile fell out of his pocket, alarming a faculty member at the Uptown Complex School on May 8, said his mother, Michelle Moody.

[FloatingFatMan]

This is just ridiculous. Did these idiots throw their brains out when getting their teaching diplomas?

[speed3okie]

This is just plain and simple of an overreaction on the schools part. A foam Nerf bullet leads to a note in the kids permanent file. I understand a zero-tolerance policy, but a Nerf bullet is taking it the extreme. 

[exotoxic]

Foam bullet has nothing to do with it, its about the broken toothpick.

[streetw0lf]

Hmmm. Toothpicks in the nerf bullets so they stick in the ground.  Fast thinking kid. 

[trag3dy]

My cousins kid has a nerf gun that shoots those things. Even with a toothpick somehow stuck in it they would never even come close to breaking the skin. Hell, you could shoot someone with a rubber band and it would hurt more than those things ever will.

 

100% over reaction on the schools part.

[FloatingFatMan]

Foam bullet has nothing to do with it, its about the broken toothpick.

 

If there were razor blades in it, I could understand it, but considering how much force there is in a nerf gun, even at point blank range, a foam bullet with a toothpick in it won't even scratch you.

[xendrome]

If there were razor blades in it, I could understand it, but considering how much force there is in a nerf gun, even at point blank range, a foam bullet with a toothpick in it won't even scratch you.

 

[strollin]

If they got that excited over a broken toothpick, just think what their reaction would have been if he had brought a whole toothpick!

[Liana]

This is just plain and simple of an overreaction on the schools part. A foam Nerf bullet leads to a note in the kids permanent file. I understand a zero-tolerance policy, but a Nerf bullet is taking it the extreme. 

I don't understand zero-tolerance policies. They've replaced actually having to think about and assess these kinds of situations. A broken toothpick is no more a weapon than a broken pencil, or even a sharpened one. Thousands of items in these schools can be considered weapons by the definition the school follows. Because of zero-tolerance policies, kids get punished who have done nothing wrong. Teachers also have to live in fear of being punished when they don't report even the smallest thing like this. Zero-tolerance policies should be banned in schools; every situation like this needs evaluation.  

 

No kid should be allowed to have a cellphone in school either, but that's a whole different conversation.

[webeagle12]

This is just ridiculous. Did these idiots throw their brains out when getting their teaching diplomas?

 

no they just pay for them

[theyarecomingforyou]

I understand a zero-tolerance policy, but a Nerf bullet is taking it the extreme. 

The problem with zero-tolerance policies is that they don't allow for common sense. The context should always be considered. In this case the policy clearly isn't fit for purpose and is detrimental to students.

[Xilo]

 

 

 

According to the school

[DocM]

This is just ridiculous. Did these idiots throw their brains out when getting their teaching diplomas?

Not entirely.

These "zero tolerance" policies are a catchall shield to avoid the responsibility of having to make a decision which could be questioned. This way they can just point to a cookbook policy manual, implying 'not my fault.'

If you want to sit through an hour long rant mention zero tolerance to my wife, an old-school teacher of 30+ years. Whoa....major hot button.

I'd ban zero tolerance policies outright.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

a broken toothpick??         even the stupid policy does not answer for that.

 

as mentioned the boys mother had issues with school before.  it was revenge i bet you my monthly salary.  has to be.

[MikeChipshop Member]

Any one remember that common sense thing that used to exist a few decades back?

[chrisj1968]

its all about this zero tolerance. look at NJ, where this is. I lived in Maryland for 10 years close and am glad i moved. the blue states are completely out of their minds.

[DocM]

Any one remember that common sense thing that used to exist a few decades back?

You mean when it was actually used? Today they don't even know what it is.

[FloatingFatMan]

Any one remember that common sense thing that used to exist a few decades back?

 

Commons sense is the rarest of all superpowers.

[Zidane]

I think it comes down to fear.

 

Had the kid actually been malicious and poked a student with it, its possible that student's parents would have tried to sue. Its basically what everyone is about these days...seeing the opportunity and going for it ..

[DConnell Member]

Not entirely.

These "zero tolerance" policies are a catchall shield to avoid the responsibility of having to make a decision which could be questioned. This way they can just point to a cookbook policy manual, implying 'not my fault.'

If you want to sit through an hour long rant mention zero tolerance to my wife, an old-school teacher of 30+ years. Whoa....major hot button.

I'd ban zero tolerance policies outright.

 

Would you say your wife has a zero tolerance policy towards zero tolerance policies?

[DocM]

Would you say your wife has a zero tolerance policy towards zero tolerance policies?

Absofrickinlutely!!

[Dinggus]

 

 

 

 

So why don't they ban pencils, pens, scissors, protractors, etc while they're at it? They are all readily capable of lethal use.

 

 

Reminds me of the time in 3rd grade I had a normal wooden pencil, the tip broke and was just barely dangling. Some kid was trying to bully me or something, so I just flicked the lead towards him and it ended up going into his eye. I'm actually surprised I never got into trouble for it.

 

I did get suspended in 2nd grade for bringing a toy gun to school, I had it in my backpack and left it on the school bus, asked for it in lost and found. I was told to identify what was in the backpack so they knew it was mine. Next thing I know, my moms at the school and I had to go to some campus police at a highschool and get talked to on how it's bad to bring anything that resembles a weapon. This was back in the early 90's.

[FloatingFatMan]

Absofrickinlutely!!

 

So your counter argument with her should be "But honey, by your rampant outrage as such things, you're showing that you have a zero tolerance policy towards zero tolerance policies!"

 

Try it out, then let us know how it turned out once she lets you back in the house!

[Skin]

This is just ridiculous. Did these idiots throw their brains out when getting their teaching diplomas?

 

Honestly, I was thinking that until i read everything: "Moody said her son suffers from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and has suffered in the past from anger management issues, but she believes he was singled out after she filed a complaint against the board claiming harassment issues from a supervisor during her time as a substitute custodian in the district." "All he had was the dart with a broken toothpick in it."

 

The kid and family may well have some bigger issues going on here.

 

That said, yeah, normally schools should use their brain in each case, but then again, not following the strict laws open up for lawsuits and bias accusations. Danged if they do, and danged if they don't. What's to say the kid didn't bring it on purpose to hurt someone or something? They don't know, so it is treated the same.