Boy suspended from school for pretending to shoot fellow pupil with imaginary bow and arrow

A six-year-old pupil at Our Lady of Lourdes school in Cincinnati, Ohio, was given a three-day suspension for pretending to shoot another student with a bow and arrow. The boy's parents, Matthew and Martha Miele, say their son was playing a game of Power Rangers at recess on Thursday when it happened. Martha Miele said she was called on Thursday afternoon while at work by Principal Joe Crachiolo. "I didn't really understand. I had him on the phone for a good amount of time so he could really explain to me what he was trying to tell me," Martha Miele said.



"My question to him was 'Is this really necessary? Does this really need to be a three-day suspension under the circumstances that he was playing and he's 6 years old?'" The Mieles met with Crachiolo on Friday morning asking him to reconsider. "He told me that he was going to stand firm and that he was not going to change it," Martha Miele said. On Friday, Crachiolo sent a letter home to parents stating in part, "I have no tolerance for any real, pretend, or imitated violence. The punishment is an out of school suspension." The Mieles also contacted the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and were told someone would talk with the principal. On Monday the archdiocese said: "It cannot comment on disciplinary issues involving a minor."





The suspension was effective immediately for Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Page 18, Section 407.02 of the Educational Policy Manual For School Administrators states: In cases where a student is suspended, these procedures must be followed: a) Written notification is to be sent to the parents and student indicating the reason for suspension. The notification should also include the length of time of the suspension. b) A conference must be held between the school representatives and the family before or during the suspension. c) When a student's behaviour constitutes a threat, physically endangers herself/himself or others, or causes serious disruption to instruction, she/he may be removed immediately, with due process requirements to be fulfilled as soon as practical.


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The Meiles son returned to school on Wednesday and they had a difficult time explaining to him why he couldn't go to school. "I can't stop him from pretending to be a super hero. I can't stop him from playing ninja turtles. I can't stop him from doing these things and I don't think it would be healthy to do so," Martha Miele said. "His imagination can go limitless places. We try to encourage that as parents," Matthew Miele said. The Mieles said they do not want any other parents to go through this type of situation and they hope this experience can change the way other similar incidents are handled at the school.