A Colorado school sent police to a 12-year-old boy’s home and suspended him after a teacher saw him “waving” a toy gun during a virtual learning class.
Seventh-grader Isaiah Elliott was attending a virtual art class at Grand Mountain School in Colorado Springs on August 27 when he picked up a neon green toy gun and moved it from one side of the screen to the other, his mother told Buzzfeed.
Dani Elliott told the publication that her son is diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that causes him to have trouble concentrating during class, which the school is well aware of. Isaiah has an Individualized Education Program on file.
After the class, Elliott says she received an email from the teacher saying that there had been “a very serious issue with waving around a toy gun” and that she reported it to the school’s vice-principal. The vice-principal called Elliott to let her know that the sheriff’s office had been contacted to conduct a welfare check on Isaiah.
The sheriffs showed Elliott’s husband footage of the incident upon arrival, and that encounter was recorded on the officer’s body camera.
According to a redacted police report obtained by KOAA, part of the incident was recorded as part of the online class and showed two students playing around with toy guns, pointing them at the screen, and pulling the trigger. The teacher is documented, saying, “she assumed it was a toy gun but was not certain.” Isaiah’s mom has not yet been able to review any of the footage.
“This could potentially impact his future. Look at everything that’s going on in the world today,” Eliott said to Buzzfeed. “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.”
Isaiah’s suspension ended Friday, but his mom has no intention of sending him back to Grand Mountain School. Isaiah will be formally withdrawn from the school on Tuesday, according to Elliott, and is now on the waiting list for a charter school.
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