Schools

Did Punishment for Toy Gun Keychain Go Too Far?

A seventh-grade Coventry student was suspended after the quarter-sized keychain fell out of his backpack. Did the school overreact?

Tragic school shootings, like the one at Sandy Hook School in Connecticut last December, have naturally led school districts across the country to revamp their security procedures and toughen restrictions on weapons and even fake weapons in schools.

But have the restrictions gone too far?

A 12-year-old boy has been suspended from Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School in Coventry after he brought a small toy gun keychain to school on Thursday. Seventh grader Joseph Lyssikatos will miss three days of school and has been barred from attending an upcoming school field trip to Salem, Mass., after a quarter-sized keychain in the shape of a revolver fell out of his backpack in class. Officials cited the school's zero-tolerance policy on weapons.

The school's handbook reads: “Possession/carrying/use of/threat of use of a firearm or replica shall result in a recommendation for expulsion for a period of time up to one full calendar year.” The policy could have resulted in even greater penalties for Lyssikatos, including a 10-day suspension and even expulsion, the boy's father, Keith Bonanno, told WPRO radio. Bonanno called the combined suspension and loss of a field trip "disgraceful." 

What do you think? Does the punishment fit the crime or is it an over-reach? Should schools rely on zero-tolerance policies or use discretion on a case-by-case basis? Let us know in the comments section below.


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