A 12-year-old boy in Colorado with learning disabilities was suspended and the police were called to his home after he waved a toy gun across the screen during a virtual art class, according to Fox News.
El Paso County Sheriff’s officers arrived at the family home and did a welfare check on Isiah Elliott without parental notification. The Sheriff’s Office said the teacher thought it was a toy gun but police still went ahead with the house call.
“It was really frightening and upsetting for me as a parent, especially as the parent of an African-American young man, especially given what’s going on in our country right now,” Curtis Elliott, Isaiah’s father, told KDVR.
Police said in a report that they advised Isaiah that if his behavior continued, he could “potentially face criminal charges for interference with staff, faculty, or students of educational institutions.”
Isaiah, who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and has learning disabilities, wasn’t aware the gun was shown on screen during the virtual art class. Isiah was left traumatized by the incident, his parents said.
“He was in tears when the cops came. He was just in tears. He was scared. We all were scared. I literally was scared for his life,” said Curtis Elliott.
“He was in tears when the cops came. He was just in tears. He was scared. We all were scared. I literally was scared for his life,” said Curtis Elliott.
“The virtual setting is not the same as the school setting,” the dad added. “He did not take the toy gun to school. He’s in the comfort of his own home. It’s a toy.”
The toy gun was neon green and black with an orange tip featuring the words on the handle: “Zombie Hunter.”
According to a Buzzfeed report, Elliott said that she had not seen the video because the school district has so far refused to release it to her. The mother told Buzzfeed she was unaware that the school had been recording the virtual classes without informing parents, and never would have consented if she had known. However authorities showed the family a video of the class from a recording from a police body camera.
The boy’s mother said the punishment didn’t fit the crime.