5th grader is suspended for drawing WTC towers

KMOV St. Louis Website ^ | 10/5/01 | Anne Steffens, Education Reporter

[Clintons Are White Trash]

KMOV) -- A local elementary student has been suspended for three days because he drew a picture of the World Trade Center. Thursday, the fifth grader was allowed to return to class. The sketch depicts one World Trade Center tower on fire and included a paper airplane attached to the other tower. (KMOV) On Friday, September 28, the day was just beginning for North Jefferson Intermediate fifth grader Paul Volz and his teacher didn't like what she saw. "My son drew a picture at school of the Trade Centers and it had a little smoke coming out of one picture and he had a little Post-it note that he said was folded up, sitting on the thing," describes Paul Volz, the fifth grader's father. The Post-it note was made into an airplane and placed on the picture Paul Jr. drew. "I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time and I still don't," his father says. (KMOV) However, Principal Jeff Boyer did. In a discipline referral form, Boyer wrote, "Paul drew a picture of the Trade Centers being bombed. He then taped this picture to the outside of his cubicle and pointed it out to the other students and grinned. When I asked him why he did this, he just looked at me and smiled. This is totally inappropriate and Paul's behavior has to change." "If it's making light of something that other people find very serious, then that might be considered threatening, or, if it's an upsetting drawing that brings back maybe some bad memories for some other students and it disrupts the school day, then that can be considered threatening," says Ben Helt of Northwest R-1 School District. Paul Volz (KMOV) Paul was suspended for three days with no appeal. "If they thought this was something wrong, instead of doing what they did, they should have sent him to the counselor and let him talk to the counselor, see what the problem was," Paul's father says. Volz admits his son has been in trouble before, but believes a drawing should not keep his kid home from school. The Northwest R-1 School District has suspended and even expelled students before because of drawings and its student handbook addresses communications of a threatening nature. However, in a time when schools often encourage kids to draw to express their feelings, some parents find a three-day suspension a little harsh.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

This is the school district I live in - too bizarre! On the website, it shows the actual drawings - doesn't look like much to get suspended over to me! I have the feeling this kid is a regular PITA at the school adn this was just another incident in his long history.

[Reelect President Dubya]

Abolish public education so the principal can find a real job.

[Ward Smythe]

He then taped this picture to the outside of his cubicle and pointed it out to the other students and grinned.

I was on the kid's side until I read this. He appears to be a little PITA as you said.

I found this interesting though because one of the ways kids are taught to deal with abuse is to draw a picture of what happened.

[freesia2]

This IS bizarre. But, what is a PITA, other than something one might have for lunch? :)

[Temple Drake]

my sons regularly draw knights with swords fighting huge dragons, martial arts guys beating up bad guys, and elaborate weapons designs. Fortunately, they are homeschooled and the only time they get in trouble for this artwork is when it is done on paper that was supposed to be used to work math problems!

[demsux]

Bring on vouchers and dismantle the NEA. The teacher's unions are nothing more than a fund raising device for the DNC.

[Morgan's Raider]

Looks like it's time for you folks to get together and demand a suspension (without pay) for a teacher and a principal on the grounds of gross idiocy.

A permanent suspension.

[twntaipan]

They suspend this kid but college professors doing far worse are championed. What is wrong with this picture?

[mountaineer]

Even if the kid is a little snot, it's curious that the school would object to his recreating something seen in the news every day. Current events must not be as important a part of today's curriculum as it was in my day! Maybe he should have drawn Barry Bonds (also in the news every day) or something really important like that.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

PITA = Pain In The A$$

[Mad Dawgg]

This is the Liberal form of Free SPeech!

You may only express yourself freely if "WE" the NEA agree with it!

Yea the kid is probably a PITA but we have children who have done far worse roaming the halls of our pitiful public school system but Wearing the colors of your gang or threatening a teacher are different I guess!

[jdub]

cubicles? Whatever happened to desks?

[smith288]

I would make the assumption that he was merely proud of his work. Not proud of the towers being attacked. These morons need to get a grip and quit punishing kids for thinking.

[kempo]

This is what would have happened when I was in school. The teacher would have said " This is not something to be made fun of. Don't do it again." If I did it again I got my little ass whipped. If my parents came to school to complain about my spanking they would have been told " If you don't like the way we handled your child take him out of this school and put him in another school".

[TheFilter]

Actually, they should've put the kid in remedial art...I don't think he can afford to miss a day. He's worse than Amber Paige!

http://www.brknews.com/news/worstpic.html

Mean, but funny.

[Chemnitz]

The public schools are increasingly Stalinistic while letting real crimes happen with impunity. I would not let my child attend such a school.

[freesia2]

Ah. And why did I not figure that out on my own? LOL

[Capt.YankeeMike]

why in the world do you send your precious children to a public schroool? Is that shiny new car in your driveway more important than your children? shame on you. what I really cant believe is that you ADMIT you send your kids there. I am ashamed for you, if you are not ashamed of yourself....

[Fresh Wind]

Sounds like the kid needs to have his Ritalin dosage increased.

[KY Dittohead]

"I found this interesting though because one of the ways kids are taught to deal with abuse is to draw a picture of what happened."

Wonder what this says about this kids mental condition, I mean even his dad wasn't very concerned. Drawing the picture doesn't bother me, it's his actions afterward that bother me. (Please forgive any mistakes, I'm a newbie.)