A Black 10-Year-Old Drew an 'Offensive Sketch.' She Was Handcuffed by Cops.

[haele]

4. When I was seven, a boy kicked a chair out from under me as I was sitting down.

Circle story time in school. Teacher didn't see it, so he didn't get in trouble. The only reason I remember this is because as an upset seven year old, I drew an unflattering picture of him being a mean, very fat little boy with a chair stuck his butt. I was a pretty good artist then who could already spell at a fifth grade level, so this wasn't a stick figure with squiggles, it was pretty clear who I intended it to be.

And boy-howdey, did I get in trouble for making fun of him. It was explained clearly to me that I was being a bully, even though I was mad at him for kicking the chair so I fell on the floor. Even though, 55 years later, I still have that feeling that it was him being a bully, not an accident as they said it must have been

But they would never just have put me in handcuffs for a drawing. They would have talked to me about it and the rules of the classroom, just as they did to the boy when they finally caught him intentionally kicking chairs and bumping people.

Elementary school kids are still learning boundaries, and other than a very few damaged sociopaths, most can be and are re-directed by observant teachers and staff. This "No Tolerance/just arrest them" BS does not belong in elementary school.

Haele