Unfortunately, too few children are given credit for their brave and calm reactions in the face of outright terror. Recently, an 11-year-old showed their bravery when they disarmed a gun that another classmate brought to school. For one, that’s impressive. And secondly, the moral fiber this kid exemplified should be seen as an example. Instead of commending the child for their fast thinking and bravery, his school in Michigan expelled him.
WILXTV posted an Instagram video going over the incident. A few months ago, an 11-year-old child found out their classmate, a 12-year-old brought a gun to school at Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing, Michigan. He had seen his classmate carrying it through school. Thanks to his hunting knowledge, he was able to dissemble the gun and toss the bullets. The 11-year-old didn’t tell the school about the incident because he “didn’t want to implicate himself in it” or “tell on the person” who brought the weapon to school.
Unfortunately, the school took action against him. Pretty soon the 11-year-old and his parents found out he would be expelled for an entire year. Why? For merely handling the weapon, which wasn’t even his to begin with. As his mom says, “He has been expelled” despite “being an A/B student, a respectful young man, and an athlete who has been playing sports since he was 6 years old.”
The school’s reasoning behind the expulsion? “Michigan law provides very clear direction in cases involving dangerous weapons.” They went on to say, “Our priority remains creating and maintaining a secure environment where learning can take place without fear.” The fact the young boy saved lives meant nothing to the school.
Now, on top of that, his mother has no choice but to homeschool him until he returns to school. This means she had to cut back on work hours, which created financial strain on the entire household. A commenter stated bluntly on the video of the story, “So they’d rather he did nothing. Got it.”
“THAT WAS THE DUMBEST STATEMENT I’VE EVER SEEN. We are talking about an 11 year old kid, who saved so many people’s lives and you punish him by not letting him back into school?” one commenter questioned. Make it make sense, please. Every school says it prioritizes safety, so why is this child being punished for doing the right thing? As the child’s mother put it: “They are setting up my child for failure.”
