🚀 go-pugleaf

More "hate America" from our liberal educators.

BroJack
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'Patriotic' Stick Figure Drawing Troubles School 
  
Wednesday, October 29, 2003

NEW YORK � A 14-year-old New Jersey schoolboy � whose dad and stepdad
are in the military � was suspended for five days because he drew a
"patriotic" stick figure of a U.S Marine blowing away a Taliban
fighter, officials said yesterday.

"He's been punished for the drawing," said Tinton Falls school
superintendent Leonard Kelpsh. "We felt it was highly inappropriate,
and we took it very seriously." 

Scott Switzer, of Colts Neck, was sent home last week from Tinton
Falls Middle School (search) after a teacher saw the image on a
computer and described it to the principal. 

Scott, who turned 14 Tuesday and was headed back to school Wednesday,
said he was unjustly disciplined for his sketch of "a war scene." 

"Truth be told, it's a Marine shooting a terrorist Taliban," he told
The Post. "It's just a picture. What upsets me most is that the
principal would dare say it's not normal. To me, it's patriotic." 

Kelpsh said the five-day punishment was appropriate, adding that he
would not discuss Scott's prior disciplinary record. But family
members said the teenager had been involved in three "minor"
incidents, including an earlier suspension. 

Scott's stepmom, Kim Switzer, 36, told The Post her son suffers from
attention deficit disorder (search). The boy lives with his stepmom
and father, who is serving as a Navy engineer aboard the USS Detroit
in the Persian Gulf (search). Scott's stepfather is in the Army. 

Scott said school officials may have been edgy because of an earlier
incident in which other students had drawn a "very Columbine-ish"
picture. 

Officials said they were concerned because his drawing contained a
reference to another student who they feared might have been a
potential target. 

But a local psychologist who examined the teenager said the sketch was
benign. 

"I don't attribute pathological significance to it," said Dr. Gloria
Tillman, a psychologist who treated the boy for ADD. 

"I have to wonder what is expected of our children today when 1) our
country is at war and 2) both his father and stepfather are out
fighting the war." 

Scott's mother said school officials described the drawing as "not the
work of a normal mind." 

Scott said he understood the school's concern for student safety, but
was offended by the principal's comments. 
 
"Truth be told, I'm more upset that he'd insinuate that I'm mentally
unstable," he said. "I'm the class clown. I'm not a bully." 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,101569,00.html