Zero-Tolerance Insanity #6

A ten-year-old student in Winchendon, Massachusetts was suspended from school last week for bringing a Memorial Day souvenir to school. Bradley Geslak, a fourth-grader at Toy Town Elementary School, was given two empty rifle shell casings from blanks used during a Memorial Day ceremony. He was given the casings by a uniformed veteran at the ceremony. Bradley's dad and both of his grandfathers are veterans, so the ceremony and the souvenirs meant something to him.

Unfortunately, Bradley brought one of the shell casings to school, where he was promptly suspended for violating the school's zero-tolerance policy for weapons. The shell casing was confiscated and apparently won't be returned.

So a ten-year-old now has a weapons-related suspension on his record. The school's principal, Deborah Peterson, as well as Superintendent Brooke Clenchy, should be ashamed.