A 12-year-old boy from Colorado has been suspended after he waved a toy gun during an online class.
Police were called to the home of 7th grader Isaiah Elliot, who was attending his online class on August 21 when he waved the toy in front of the camera.
In an interview with BuzzFeed News, his mother Dani Elliot said that he had picked up the toy gun and simply moved it to the other side of the computer.
But after the class, Dani received a message from Isaiah’s teacher, saying the child had been ‘extremely distracted’ and that there had been ‘a very serious issue with waving around a toy gun.’
The art teacher also told the mother that she had reported it to the school’s vice principal.
Keri Lindaman, the vice principal of Grand Mountain School in Colorado Springs, called Dani to tell her that officers from the El Paso County Sherriff’s Office would visit her home to conduct a health and wellness check.
Isaiah’s father, Curtis Elliot, said that their son ‘was in tears when cops came.’ He told KDVR: “He was scared. We were all scared. I literally was scared for his life.”
The young boy, who has learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was left traumatized by the incident, they added.
“I definitely feel they crossed the line,” Dani expressed. “They were extreme with their punishment, especially sending the police out and traumatizing my son and my family.
“This could potentially impact his future… look at everything that’s going on in the world today.”
Dani added: “God forbid something happens to my son down the road, people could look at this and decide he doesn’t deserve justice. I know that sounds extreme… it’s a very real reality for us.”
In the notice of suspension obtained by BuzzFeed News, school administrators said that the 12-year-old violated ‘district or building policies or procedures’ and was guilty of ‘behavior on or off school property which is detrimental to the welfare, safety, or morals of other pupils or school personnel.’
Even though Isaiah’s suspension has already ended, his parents are not letting him go back to school.
“Having toys in my house is something I thought I never had to think of,” the mother said. “It never crossed my mind that toys could be seen as a threat.”
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