A mother in North Carolina said she is outraged after her 5-year-old daughter was suspended from school for playing with a stick that resembled a gun.
Caitlin Miller returned to school on Tuesday after a one-day suspension.
Hoke County Schools said in a note sent home to her parents that she posed a threat to the school and threatened to shoot and kill other students.
However, Caitlin said she and her two best friends were only playing a game on the playground called “King and Queen.” In this case, Caitlin was the guard protecting the royals and picked up the gun to imitate shooting an intruder who was trying to enter the kingdom.
“Hoke County Schools will not tolerate assaults, threats or harassment from any student,” the school said in a statement obtained by WTVD-TV. “Any student engaging in such behavior will be removed from the classroom or school environment for as long as is necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning.”
While Caitlin’s mother says she understands the school’s policy on the matter, explaining it to her 5-year-old was a different story.
“We know why it’s bad. We watch the news, but then I have to tell my kid you’re not allowed to play like that in school because people do bad things to kids your age,” Brandy Miller said.
Miller said she hopes the school will issue an apology to her daughter because she was alienated from friends and teachers due to the suspension.
