School suspends boy who drew picture of attack

[Red Squirrel]

This is like old as in 2001 old, but I found it while looking for stuff and it caught my attention. Pretty pathetic that the school actually suspended the kid for it. I mean he's a 5th grade, it's not like he really understands the situation.

http://www.myshortpencil.com/schooltalk/me...html?1002476278

School suspends boy who drew picture of attack, then grinned while showing it
BY JEREMY KOHLER / STL Today from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A Jefferson County fifth-grader served a three-day suspension this week for drawing the World Trade Center attack on notebook paper and grinning while showing it off.

Paul Volz, 11, last week drew the skyscrapers side by side with smoke and fire pouring from the left tower. He said he taped the drawing to the outside of his study cubicle at the North Jefferson Intermediate School. WTC drawing

In a discipline notice sent to Paul's parents, school Principal Jeff Boyer indicated the boy had made "disruptive physical conduct or speech" and "communication of a threatening nature."

Paul, who is from the Fenton area, was suspended Monday through Wednesday and returned to school Thursday. On a copy of the drawing Boyer faxed to Paul's father, Boyer noted that the boy stuck a small paper airplane on one of the skyscrapers, said the boy's father, Paul Volz.

Boyer wrote on the notice: "When I asked him why he did this, he just looked at me and smiled. This is totally inappropriate and Paul's behavior has to change." Boyer did not return a call from the Post-Dispatch Thursday.

District spokesman Ben Helt said it was Paul's grinning - not the drawing - that brought the suspension. He would not discuss specifics of how Paul acted.

"How a child handles that drawing could be just as important (as the drawing itself)," Helt said. "Some drawings can be therapeutic and others can be offensive."

Volz said his class had been assigned to write journal entries and "peace poems" after the attack. He said he drew the center because it was on his mind and said he shared it with only one student. He denied sticking an airplane to the drawing.

Paul's father said he was angry at the school.

"If it was such a big deal to them, I don't know why they didn't take him . . . to talk to a counselor instead of just suspending him," Volz said.

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[manadren]

That is a little extreme, but emotions were running high at the time. I agree with the father in that he should've simply been sent to a counselor. People like to overreact, particularly immediately following 9/11. They get paranoid, and don't understand how someone could not react the same way as them, and thus lash out. Something like that could very well be disruptive, but the disruption could've been handles alot better.

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[MrSelf]

and don't understand how someone could not react the same way as them, and thus lash out. Something like that could very well be disruptive, but the disruption could've been handles alot better.

+1, and nicely stated.

Archived topic from Anythingforums, old topic ID:943, old post ID:10928

[Joe]

Well, at the time if he was not suspended it would be all over the news and people would be complaining why is this kid in school, he should be suspended. The kid could have used some help instead of suspension.

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[Red Squirrel]

But you got to remember he's only 11. At that age you don't really understand the extent of something like 9/11, especially on that actual day, assuming it's when he drew it.

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[Joe]

My 4 year old cousin knew better then to draw it and grin while showing it...maybe it was different out of nyc.

The kid probably didnt know how to deal with something like that.

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[Anonymous]

My 4 year old cousin knew better then to draw it and grin while showing it...maybe it was different out of nyc.

The kid probably didnt know how to deal with something like that.

Meh, people make too much fuss over the towers. Ugly pieces of crap anyway.

I'm sure if the CN tower in canada or Big Ben of England were to be destroyed people would'nt give two craps less.

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[Red Squirrel]

But if the CN tower got hit by a plane maybe like 10 people would die.

The big ben, maybe like 2 people would die. LOL

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