Zachary Bowlin, a student at Edgewood Middle School in Ohio, was handed a 10-day suspension for liking a photo of a gun on Instagram. The picture in question was captured with the phrase ‘ready.’
Bowlin’s parents posted a picture of the intended suspension notice, which read, “The reason for the intended suspension is as follows: Liking a post on social media that indicated potential school violence.”
However, according to Bowlin’s parents, the photo was a picture of an airsoft gun, and their child did not comment or share the picture, but simply liked it:
“I was livid, I mean, I’m sitting here thinking ‘you just suspended him for ten days for liking a picture of a gun on a social media site,” father Marty Bowlin told Fox News. “He never shared, he never commented, he never made a threatening post… anything on the site, just liked it.”
“I liked it, scrolling down Instagram at night about 7, 8 o’clock I liked it,” Zacahry said. “The next morning they called me down [to the office] patted me down and checked me for weapons.”
Since receiving the notice, the family said that Edgewood Middle School has dropped the suspension and there will be no repercussions for the child’s actions.
Superintendent Russ Fussnecker released a statement on the matter:
“Concerning the recent social media posting of a gun with the caption “Ready”, and the liking of this post by another student, the policy at Edgewood City Schools reads as follows:
The Board has a “zero tolerance” of violent, disruptive, harassing, intimidating, bullying, or any other inappropriate behavior by its students.
Furthermore, the policy states:
Students are also subject to discipline as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct that occurs off school property when the misbehavior adversely affects the educational process. As the Superintendent of the Edgewood City Schools, I assure you that any social media threat will be taken serious including those who “like” the post when it potentially endangers the health and safety of students or adversely affects the educational process.”
That is all the information available at this time. This article will be updated should more details become available.
