The day started off normally enough with a student headed off to school. Hours later, the student was suspended and sent home for “threatening to shoot and kill other students.” The criminal: 5-year-old Caitlin Miller. Her crime: Picking up a gun-shaped playground stick during an imaginary game of “King of Queen.”
Caitlin was the guard protecting the royals, and she made a shooting motion toward the mock intruders. That action caused Hoke County (N.C.) School officials to fear that the 5-year-old girl posed a threat to other students.
“Hoke County Schools will not tolerate assaults, threats or harassment from any student,” school officials told WTVD-TV. In return, Caitlin’s outraged mother has demanded an apology from the school. Caitlin returned to school after her one-day suspension.
The real question: Should the school be held responsible for leaving dangerous “weapons” laying around a playground within a gun-free zone?
