Posted on 05/10/2006 9:15:58 PM PDT by ncountylee
(KDKA) PENN HILLS We now know the fate of the 10 year old boy who got into big trouble for taking a squirt gun to school.
The Penn Hills School District has decided to expel Jokari Becker until 2007.
Jokari hasn't been to school since April 5, when he was suspended.
His parents got a phone call from the superintendent Wednesday saying the fifth grader has been expelled until at least January 2007, for violating the school code of discipline and responsibilities.
In part, the district's discipline code says a weapon is defined - but not limited to - a knife, firearm, shotgun, or a look-alike gun.
A weapon can be any tool or instrument capable of inflicting serious bodily damage.
KDKA’s Ralph Iannotti reports Jokari’s parents think the punishment is way out of line and so does a school board member who voted against the expulsion.
She's speaking out.
“If we're that afraid of a ten year old bringing an orange squirt gun to school then something is wrong with society, because he didn't threaten anybody with it,” said Penn Hills School Board Member Erin Vecchio.
Vecchio was one of three school board members who voted against expelling Jokari from school.
She says the district, which is already having financial woes, will have to pay thousands of additional dollars now because Jokari has to be home schooled.
“They're raising their taxes and yet they are home schooling another kid,” said Vecchio. “Bring him back to school, show him what is right or wrong... that's what we're here to do, educate these kids.”
“Basically, a professional or a certified teacher will come to the home or neutral meeting place and give him instruction as far as completing his school work,” said Jokari's mother Melissa Becker.
She says the bottom line is that her son has apologized for what happened.
Jokari wants to go back to school and, his parents will definitely appeal the expulsion order.
School boards seem to have more idiots these days.
Kids always brought squirt guns to school when I was a kid... They were usually confiscated because they used to inappropriately to disturb class, or to squirt someone who complained. But nobody actually got in trouble unless they brought one of those water cannon squirt guns and sprayed a teacher.
Then again, I went to a very well behaved school.
I suppose if you shot enough water up your nose, you could drown. Where do they find these people??? Oh yeah, I forgot, this is a public school. They responsible for the creation of idiots.
The biggest favor this school every did for this kid is locking the door to him.
They are ruining his life over a squirt gun. This is beyond madness.
Makes you wonder what I world is coming to...
A kid with a squirt gun is treated like a criminal, and a criminal with a gun is treated like a victim.
The following is from one of my favorite episodes of "King of the Hill." Hank is substitute shop teacher, and Bobby has just gotten trouble for bringing a tool to school for shop class.
PRINCIPAL MOSS: According to the school board's zero-tolerance policy, anything that can be used as a weapon is a weapon.
HANK: Well, that's just asinine!
PRINCIPAL MOSS: Hey, my hands are tied. If I showed even a little bit of tolerance, we couldn't call it zero-tolerance.
You mean all I have to do is to bring a squirt gun to class, and I get to stay home all day and have a private tutor? Wow, count me in on this deal!!!
Totally agree, dead. He'll be homeschooled and will become a better person as a result while his peers will be working at some seedy fast-food joint.
My only question is this - is the little Jokeroo or Jokari or whatever the heck his name is a problem kid that they've been looking to get rid of? Even so, though, throwing a kid out of school for a squirt gun is assinine. That's the kind of thing that should be confiscated by the teacher and brought home to the teacher's own kids.
Exactly!!
splits
Now your showing your age, smooth forgot about that game. My personal knife of choice was an old Barlow.
This story is absurd!
In college we had a campus-wide game called "Assassins" where hundreds of students would sign up and be given a name. Your job was to "assassinate" your person before your assasin gets you. You have to use squirt guns and the game was 24/7 and no place was safe. When you assassinated your mark, you were then assigned his/her mark and this went on until it was down to two people who were trying to get each other. The game was a lot of fun and it was interesting to see the different styles of play. You'd see college students running from class to class across campus carrying super soakers slung around their necks. Then you'd always encounter the professionals who had the small pocket sized squirt guns and acted casual about the game.
No one ever got in trouble for having squirt guns shaped like pistols. In fact, a lot of the professors encouraged play because their students were showing up early for classes!
Anyway, I dont think the school made the right descision. The kids actions would not have gotten him in trouble in the real world. How is his punishment supposed to better help prepare him for life?
Schools take this zero tolerance crap way too far. You can't even bring a plastic butter knife or fork to school anymore without getting into big trouble.
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