Student Suspended For Drawing Gun

CREEK, Ariz. -- A 13-year-old student who drew a picture of a gun on his homework at Payne Junior High School in Queen Creek was initially suspended for at least five days, but his father was able to slash it to three days.The Mosteller family moved to Chandler from Colorado Springs only four weeks ago, but it's not the kind of greeting Paula Mosteller said she was expecting.Her 13-year-old son was suspended from school because he drew a picture of a gun on homework."My son is a very good boy," Mosteller said.

"He doesn't get into trouble. There was nothing on the paper that would signify that it was a threat of any form," she said.The principal at Payne Junior High School kept the actual drawing.The picture was enough to get him suspended, initially, for five days."He was just basically doodling and not thinking a lot about it," Mosteller said.CBS 5 News tried to get more details from the Chandler Unified School District but were told, "Federal privacy law forbids the school or district from discussing student discipline.""We're not advocates for guns," Mosteller said.

"We don't have guns in our home. We don't promote the use of guns. My son was just basically doodling on a piece of paper," she said.After the father went to the school and talked to the principal, the suspension was trimmed to three days.

CBS 5 News investigated the rules students must follow while at school. There's nothing in a portion of the student handbook that addresses conduct to indicate the drawing of a weapon poses threat.There is a rule that says students should not engage in "Threatening an educational institution by interference with or disruption of the school."

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