KANSAS
CITY, Mo. -- A
Missouri mother is angry that her first-grader was suspended from
school over a plastic toy gun."I asked her, 'You're going to
suspend my son for 10 days for this? He cannot harm a soul with
this,'" said Danielle Womack, whose son, Tawann Caskey, was
suspended from Milton Moore Elementary School in Kansas City.
Tawann was suspended over a 2-inch plastic squirt gun."She
told me it's a weapon, a little girl saw it and reported to a
teacher that he had a weapon," Womack said.According to
Kansas City, Mo., School District policy, the squirt gun is a
simulated weapon and a class IV, which is the most serious school
offense. Principals claim to have no discretion in cases like
Tawaan's. It is an automatic 10-day suspension.
"We ask our principals for safety of students and staff,
and we do follow the code of conduct and do not give exceptions to
Class IV offenses. We take it very seriously," the school
district's Phyllis Budesheim said.
The incident will stay on Tawann's permanent school record. But
Womack said her son does not understand why he's not in school.
"I
think this could have been resolved in a different way. It's wrong
to bring it school, but come on, he's 6 years old. This would not
hurt a soul," Womack said.
The school district said it is all policy -- one that the
school told students and parents about at the start of the year.
"We regret that this happened. My feeling is that by not
giving any exceptions, this young man will not bring a toy gun to
school again," Budesheim said.
The school district said that the incident should be a reminder
to parents to check their children's backpacks before they go to
school.
Womack
will state her case before a school district hearing Wednesday
morning.
