School violence and gestapo tactics

Are we taking the school violence thing too far?

Last week, as we prepared to leave on our little one-night getaway, we got a phone call from the guidance counselor at Caedyn's school. Mike fielded the call and said that, according to the counselor, Caedyn had drawn something offensive and had been taken to the office. She also said that the vice principal (she didn't specify, and there's more than one) and she had had a discussion with him, and that he was fine. Everything was fine. It was a courtesy call to let us know there had been a problem.

Now, let me stop here and tell you that my kid draws comics. He draws superhero comics and Naruto comics and whatever else comes into his head. We had the "no drawing guns in school" discussion early on, and he just...doesn't. So, to tell you that we were a little confused/concerned is an understatement.

Here's what we got from Caedyn when he got home...

Caedyn's drawing at lunch time (something we encouraged to keep him from drawing in class and not getting his work done), and a "security specialist" came up and looked over his shoulder.

Security: "Is that a gun? Let me see this." *picks up paper*
Caedyn: "No, it's a hand. He's pointing."
Security: "No, it looks like a gun."
Caedyn: "No, it's a hand."
Security: "No, it's a gun."
Caedyn: "No, it's a hand."

Yes, folks. This actually went back and forth. "Gun." "Hand." ad nauseum until the "security specialist" told him to go sit at the Saturday school table (where the bad kids sit) while he went to find the vice principal. At this point, my son is crying, because he's apparently decided he's going to be arrested.

The vice principal then pulls Caedyn into his office and lectures him on school violence and APPEARANCES. If it LOOKS like something inappropriate, then maybe he should change his drawing or just not draw in school anymore.

So, Tuesday morning, we were home for maybe 10 minutes before we were back out the door on the way to talk to everyone involved. You'd have been so proud of me. I didn't mention the words "gestapo" or "lawyer" once. Cuz to say Mom was a bit peeved is an understatement. Not only was the "security specialist" out of line with the "agree with me and be in trouble or be in trouble" approach, but to sit a child down in a room with THREE adults and not call me? I was livid.

Fortunately, we ran into the director of the program that Caedyn is in first, and she went with us to this meeting. The vice principal (thankfully, the other intelligent being in the room) explained that Caedyn was never in trouble, and that he just wanted to hear his side of things. He told us about his conversation/lecture.

Now, we explained exactly why Caedyn draws at lunch. We explained that this is his creative outlet, and we feel that suppressing it seems to cause some stress for him, so we've fought for it already in the perception of a teacher. The program director also steps in and totally reminds me why she's won me over in the first place: She's talked to Caedyn's teachers and the vice principal who oversees the program (who is a different one than this issue was brought to, by the way!) about his particular needs and the specifics of his gifted nature. Had she been available at lunch on that day, this wouldn't have gone down the way it did.

I told him that the "security specialist" was out of line, and he said he'd speak with him in such a way that you actually felt like it was going to be done. I told the guidance counselor, who was also at our meeting, that her phone call was very misleading. Her, I have no confidence in. That went right over her damn head, and she nodded with that faraway look one gets in their eyes when they're going over their grocery list in their head.

Now...all of this over an incomplete drawing of the first panel of three panels of comic.

Overkill much?

I mean, yeah, violence in schools is a serious issue, but seriously. It takes three adults interrogating a 12-year-old without the knowledge or presence of a parent to address a HAND?

And yes, I saw the picture, and I can see the misunderstanding, but two questions would've cleared this up without the traumatizing of the sensitive artist: What's that SUPPOSED to be? and What's the whole panel going to be?

And not one of those adults who works with children all day knew that Naruto doesn't even have guns in it. I have no interest in the damn comic and I knew that. *eye roll*

/end rant