Parent Arrested for Handing Cardboard with the word "Gun" printed on it to Teacher, Staff

Gun Watch ^ | 8 March, 2018 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The Village of Shorewood Hills is an upscale bedroom community on the shore of lake Mendota, surrounded by Madison, Wisconsin, Lake Mendota, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. On 23 February, 2018, Jonathan M. Fitzgerald showed some parental concern.

Jonathan, who is a 35 year old graduate student in a Ph.D program of molecular and cellular pharmacology, was buzzed into the school and calmly walked to his child's classroom. There he handed a piece of cardboard with the word "Gun" written on it to the teacher. From madison.com:

Shorewood Hills Police Chief Aaron Chapin said Jonathan M. Fitzgerald, 35, activated a front door buzzer at the school, 1105 Shorewood Blvd., around 10 a.m., requesting access to the building. When he was allowed in, he walked past the school office where visitors are required to check in, Chapin said.

A staff member followed Fitzgerald as he went down the hall to the classroom his child was in, Chapin said.

“Fitzgerald made statements to the teacher in the room about being an intruder who was allowed access to the school and gave the teacher a piece of cardboard with the word ‘gun’ on it,” Chapin said.

Chapin said Fitzgerald left the classroom and went to the administrative office where he made similar statements and handed staff another piece of cardboard with “gun” written on it, then left the school building.

The article at madison.com says the police understand that there was no threat to the school or public safety. The police arrested Fitzgerald on the "tentative charge of disorderly conduct".

Jonathan has been banned from the school district grounds.

It is obvious to most readers that Jonathan was demonstrating how easily an intruder could enter the school with a gun and access the children in a classroom. It was done in perhaps the least intrusive way possible to make a physical demonstration. Fitzgerald is cooperating with the police.

The authorities in the school district did not appreciate his demonstration showing the weakness of their security.

I hope the University of Wisconsin does not kick Mr. Fitzgerald out of the Ph.D program for showing such parental concern. The University is "gathering more information".

©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[thoughtomator]

If I were the one he handed the note to, I would have beaten the shit out of him right then and there, then had him hauled off to the slammer. It would be a cut-and-dry self-defense case.

You don’t get to scare the shit out of people with a dry run of a mass murder incident in order to make political points.

That is literal and actual terrorism, low-grade though it may be.

[Darteaus94025]

BAN THE MESSENGER!!

[EODGUY]

My tagline says it all.

EODGUY

[ETCM]

His actions in this case show that he’s also very unwise.

Had he done any less, like walking in and criticizing security to the school in private, nothing would have changed. Maybe he knew getting arrested was the only way to draw attention. This way, the poor security is on the local news, in the local paper and in the conversations of the parents. He also did it at a time and in such a way that I doubt he will face prosecution, or repercussions from his employer.

[bgill]

Any school I've ever seen, and I've seen more than most, have 2-3 dozen doors. The only one you'd have to sign in at is the front door so all this sign in business is just some happy hooey feel good rule.

They'd have called SWAT out if he'd been chewing on a poptart.

[Defiant]

If what you say is true, it might not be trespass. I didn’t catch that he was buzzed into the school. I thought he blew past the front desk and as a result, they went chasing after him, then he ducked into his kid’s classroom, where he had not been given permission to be.

[TigersEye]

Next step; pull your kid out of that commie indoctrination center and write “Free at last, Free at last!” on any paperwork you have to file with the state.

[Yo-Yo]

Pity that the teacher couldn’t hand back another cardboard sign that also said “gun.”

[Steve_Seattle]

Sounds like a case of liberals eating liberals.

[TigersEye]

If the teacher had been thinking he or she should have quickly written SWAT TEAM on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

[Sopater]

Gee, in Florida you can repeatedly tell authorities there is a crazy person that wants to shoot up a school and nada. But in Wisconsin, just the word on a cardboard box gets you arrested. Duly noted...

It's always safer and simpler to go after those who are not actually a serious threat.

[Sopater]

If the teacher had been thinking he or she should have quickly written SWAT TEAM on a piece of paper and handed it to him.

SWATTED

[TigersEye]

“Better use that cardboard quick, the cops are on the way.”

[Tax-chick]

He could have signed in at the desk first without otherwise affecting his demonstration.

[freedumb2003]

I didn’t catch that he was buzzed into the school.

I see you are posting in the grandest FR tradition! You will find this tidbit deep into the article (begins the second sentence, so I can see how you missed it):

"Jonathan, who is a 35 year old graduate student in a Ph.D program of molecular and cellular pharmacology, was buzzed into the school and calmly walked to his child's classroom."

:)

[Delta 21]

I dont think it would rise to the low grade terrorism class unless he had written

Aloha Snack Bar

--BLACK SCARY GUN--

BANG BANG.

[Disambiguator]

I used to work with the guy who played “young Virgil” in that movie. He said they had a bucket of glasses handy to replace all the ones that got stomped on.

[sciencewriter86]

[Public schools are being run by imbeciles.

Get your kids out now if you want them to have a real education.]

Yes, absolutely!

[wintertime]

A cardboard with the **word** gun scares “the hell out of everyone”?

Only in the government school world of melting snowflakes.

They should be thanking this guy.

[thoughtomator]

If you handed me a piece of cardboard with the word ‘gun’ on it, I would assume it was a threat and act appropriately. Anyone who would not is a victim waiting to happen.

Who the hell does that, anyway, besides bank robbers?