'Patriotic' Stick Figure Drawing Troubles School

[thedrifter]

'Patriotic' Stick Figure Drawing Troubles School

Wednesday, October 29, 2003



NEW YORK ? A 14-year-old New Jersey schoolboy ? whose dad and stepdad are in the military ? was suspended for five days because he drew a "patriotic" stick figure of a U.S Marine blowing away a Taliban fighter, officials said yesterday.

"He's been punished for the drawing," said Tinton Falls school superintendent Leonard Kelpsh. "We felt it was highly inappropriate, and we took it very seriously."

Scott Switzer, of Colts Neck, was sent home last week from Tinton Falls Middle School (search) after a teacher saw the image on a computer and described it to the principal.

Scott, who turned 14 Tuesday and was headed back to school Wednesday, said he was unjustly disciplined for his sketch of "a war scene."

"Truth be told, it's a Marine shooting a terrorist Taliban," he told The Post. "It's just a picture. What upsets me most is that the principal would dare say it's not normal. To me, it's patriotic."

Kelpsh said the five-day punishment was appropriate, adding that he would not discuss Scott's prior disciplinary record. But family members said the teenager had been involved in three "minor" incidents, including an earlier suspension.

Scott's stepmom, Kim Switzer, 36, told The Post her son suffers from attention deficit disorder (search). The boy lives with his stepmom and father, who is serving as a Navy engineer aboard the USS Detroit in the Persian Gulf (search). Scott's stepfather is in the Army.

Scott said school officials may have been edgy because of an earlier incident in which other students had drawn a "very Columbine-ish" picture.

Officials said they were concerned because his drawing contained a reference to another student who they feared might have been a potential target.

But a local psychologist who examined the teenager said the sketch was benign.

"I don't attribute pathological significance to it," said Dr. Gloria Tillman, a psychologist who treated the boy for ADD.

"I have to wonder what is expected of our children today when 1) our country is at war and 2) both his father and stepfather are out fighting the war."

Scott's mother said school officials described the drawing as "not the work of a normal mind."

Scott said he understood the school's concern for student safety, but was offended by the principal's comments.

"Truth be told, I'm more upset that he'd insinuate that I'm mentally unstable," he said. "I'm the class clown. I'm not a bully."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,101569,00.html


Sempers,

Roger