Kids Punished At School for Silly or Stupid Reasons

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When it comes to irrational behavior at school, it isn’t always the kids acting crazy. Sometimes it’s the adults who need to be put in time out. Here are some examples of teachers and school staff over-reacting to benign situations and punishing kids at school for silly or stupid reasons:

Going Bananas
A nine-year-old girl in Georgia was suspended from her elementary school for pretending a banana was a gun. According to her father, Ryan Jachimowicz, “Several students were using bananas as guns at lunch” when his daughter “picked up her banana” and said “Pew, pew, your under arrest.” Ryan initially thought the school was joking when they said his daughter had earned a one day suspension.

Girl punished for a poster that promoted inclusiveness
A little girl in California sued her elementary school after she was punished for creating a poster her teachers deemed “racist.” What was this ‘racist’ creation, you’re probably wondering? The first grader drew a picture featuring a multi-ethnic group of friends. She then wrote “Black Lives Mater[sic]” before adding, “any life” to her poster.

Staff at Viejo Elementary apparently deemed this racist, since they thought the “any life” matters reference was inappropriate, since it’s a little too close to the “All Lives Matter” retort white people often use to disparage or diminish Black Lives Matter campaigns. As penance for her ‘crime,’ the little girl had to miss 2 weeks of recess. (The Week, 8-23-2024, p. 6) My how times have changed. Back when I was teaching, I would have praised this girl for her ethnically diverse art; she certainly wouldn’t have been punished for it.

Boy punished for having toy gun…in his home
Amidst the remote learning that took place during the pandemic, a 12-year-old boy was punished after his teacher spotted a toy gun in his home during an online class session. Nevermind the fact that Isaiah Elliot’s plastic toy gun was neon green, or that it was siting in his own home. His teacher reported him to the school principal, who not only promptly suspended the boy, but then proceeded to call the police. “He was in tears when the cops came,” says Curtis Elliot, the boy’s father. “We were all scared.” (The Week, Sept. 25, 2020, p. 8) It’s really the teacher and this principal who should be punished for traumatizing the family over such a ridiculous thing.

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