Online learning for our nation’s children has come with a lot of downsides, both for the kids and America’s parents. A recent case in Louisiana exposes one of the many drawbacks: an invasion of privacy. When a teacher saw a BB gun in a student’s bedroom during class, the educator called the police, claiming the 11-year-old boy brandished the gun on camera.
The situation spiraled out of control thanks to a conspicuous lack of common sense by government employees at all levels, people who should know better.
The police showed up at the student’s home. A deputy removed the BB gun and took it to the school. The school seized the gun. Cops arrested the fourth grader. The gun-phobic school district recommended the boy be expelled.
Now that saner state government leaders have reacted to the government overreach, prosecutors have dropped the charges and the boy has returned to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.
In the month since WDSU Investigates broke the story of Jefferson Parish fourth grader Ka’Mauri Harrison being threatened with expulsion for moving a BB gun in his bedroom during an online class, a firestorm of changes have swept the state. The most significant change is The Ka’Mauri Harrison Act, which writes protections for virtual students into state law and requires school systems to create virtual school policies by Dec. 31. The bill was sent to Gov. John Bel Edwards desk this week without receiving a single vote of opposition.
Now one school system is reversing its decision to discipline a student in a similar situation. According to a school incident report reviewed by WDSU, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System reported 11-year-old Rondell Coleman to the Sheriff’s Department Sept. 18 when a gun was seen in his bedroom during a virtual class. The incident report said Rondell “was brandishing a gun on camera.” According to the report, the deputy went to the child’s home, was allowed inside and brought a BB gun back to the school. “It (the BB gun) was confiscated and Rondell was charged,” the report says.
Evette Coleman said her grandson was traumatized. “This is a BB gun,” Coleman said. “You’re going to come and read a kid rights because he has a BB gun?”
She said her daughter-in-law was also read her Miranda rights and was interrogated with her son.
“I don’t know if they’re confused that we’re not on campus,” Coleman said. “We’re in our home. We are in our private home.”
Rondell was recommended for expulsion and immediately moved to an alternative school. The alternative campus is a last resort school for students with significant discipline problems and repeat violations.
Here’s the video from KSDK.
Now, many People Of The Gun have had a lot more than just a BB guns in their bedroom at that age. But to arrest this kid for having a Daisy in his room?
That sounds like a policy Robert Francis O’Rourke or Kamala Harris would promote. Not something that the average sentient American would even consider, much less implement.