Who is Jackson Belcher? 6-yr-old suspended by school for making gun impression with fingers during cops and robbers game
JEFFERSON COUNTY, ALABAMA: Jackson Belcher, a first-grader in Alabama, found himself suspended from school after engaging in a playful game with a friend, using his finger as a mock gun and saying "bang bang."
School officials compelled the six-year-old to sign a Class III infraction document for "threat and intimidation."
They cited he had "used his fingers to shoot at another student" during an innocent game of cops and robbers at the Jefferson County elementary school in Alabama.
Jackson Belcher's infraction comparable to arson and assault
Little Belcher was required to sign an infraction that was as serious as charges such as arson and assault, according to the Belcher family attorney, per Fox News.
This Class III infraction was the most severe in the school system and prevented students from returning to school until a conference was held.
The suspension notice specifies that he committed a "3.22 Threat" infraction, categorized as "threat/intimidation of student" according to the school's student and parent handbook.
Examples of a 3.22 violation encompass "a threat to kill, maim, or inflict serious harm; a threat to inflict harm involving the use of any weapon, explosive, firearm, knife, prohibited object, or other object which may be perceived by the individual being threatened as capable of inflicting bodily harm."
Jackson Belcher's father considering legal action
Belcher's father, Jarrod, expressed his anger, stating his son had been essentially "interrogated" and pressured to "confess" before being made to sign his name on the document.
Jarrod explained that his son was left "terrified" and "pretty shaken up" by the interrogation at school.
As a result of the humiliation and distress caused by the school's actions, the family was contemplating taking legal action.
"Jackson was taken to the administrator's office and basically interrogated, made to confess and then sign his name. It infuriated me," Jarrod said.
A redacted copy of the document revealed a child's handwriting with prominent block letters, including some written backward, in the "student signature" section.
According to Belcher's attorney, M Reed Martz, the child's signature underscored the absurdity of the school's handling of the incident.
"We are dealing with someone who can barely write their own name because of their age, and yet they’re hit with a Class III infraction equivalent to arson, or a bomb threat or gang activity," he said.
Gun Owners of America threaten legal action against school
The Gun Owners of America organization has threatened legal action if the incident was not removed from the child's record.
In a letter from the group, they demanded the removal of any record related to the infraction against Jackson, including details of disciplinary action taken.
Furthermore, they called for the revision of the existing policy that resulted in the inappropriate punishment of the first-grade student.
The goal was to publicly amend the policy to ensure age-appropriate play for children, preventing other children from facing unfair penalties for innocent games.
Jackson Belcher's teacher justifies school's serious approach
Jarrod approached his son's teacher to inquire about the incident, and she informed him that his son and another boy had been playing together, using their index fingers as if they were guns.
She explained that, given the current climate and the times we live in, the school was compelled to treat all such incidents with the utmost seriousness.
He said, "What they should have done was pulled him to the side and said ‘hey, this is not appropriate at school,’ and that should have solved it, or they could have called me, and I would have handled it."
Jackson Belcher's suspension lifted
Belcher went back to school the following day.
Superintendent of the Jefferson County School system Dr Walter Gonsoulin said in a statement, "In this particular case, the parents were contacted and took the student home for the remainder of the day because of the initial information we received."
"After further review of the circumstances, it was determined that no further action, other than a discussion with the student, was needed," Gonsoulin further stated.
"The student was back in class the next school day. We stand ready to meet with the parent to talk about any remaining concerns," he added.