Deaf student needs to change his name/ looks like a gun in sign language

[barstoolguru]

Grand Island Preschooler Asked to Change the Sign for His Name in School

He's deaf, and his name sign, they say, is a violation of their weapons policy," explained Hunter's father, Brian Spanjer.
Grand Island's "Weapons in Schools" Board Policy 8470 forbids "any instrument...that looks like a weapon," But a three year-old's hands?

someone need to get over it; I would tell them to "go pound salt".


Grand Island Preschooler Asked to Change the Sign for His Name in School



just an FYI; I had to look it up: The phrase "go pound salt" orginated in the early days of commercial salt mine operations in the US. There were a number of specific jobs performed by people who worked in the mine. The lowest paying and most menial job was pounding large rocks into smaller crystals that could be used for cooking and curing of meats. This job was usually given to those deemed less intelligent (the village idiot, if you will) or those who could find no other gainful employment.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[mlr1m]

Couldn't he just use a different finger?

Michael

[OD*]

I hope this costs Grand Island's school board dearly.

[Mike1956]

My last name being Brewer, the signs for making it would likely be "make beer". I am pretty sure the school people would like those signs even less than the one this young man is using.

[atctimmy]

I hope this costs Grand Island's school board dearly.

+100! I hope they get slammed!

[GeorgiaDawg]

I've said it before but it's a sad state of affairs that allows people like these to run and operate our educational system. No wonder we are behind other countries: we have idiots in charge of education.

[sigs]

There seems to be no other way around it. We need to bring back the practice of tarring, feathering and running out of town on a rail.

[BigJon10125]

This is ridiculous!!! What a bunch of uptight pansies. This is insane, how is the child wrong? I would give them the only "sign" I know.

[bigmacque]

This really is a load of crap, especially considering he's already modified the sign for himself.

The video you find at this link shows the ASL sign for hunt, and there is no SEE sign for the concept of hunting, as the story implies. If he were using the ASL sign as it's known, I could see some concern but certainly not given that he's a three year old.

Also, all sign language is a context/concept language, meaning he'd have to be talking about shooting someone for the gesture of his name to be considered any kind of threatening gesture.

[Harryball]

If I said what I really thought of these people, they would ban me, and throw me to the wolves.....

[Lish]

Especially as a former special education teacher, I am just flabbergasted! It never ceases to amaze me how far schools take their "no weapons" policy. His name is Hunter. He is deaf, he uses sign language. It's absolutely ridiculous and a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[mlr1m]

Especially as a former special education teacher, I am just flabbergasted! It never ceases to amaze me how far schools take their "no weapons" policy. His name is Hunter. He is deaf, he uses sign language. It's absolutely ridiculous and a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Its not the weapons policy that is a problem. Its the no tolerance policy used to enforce it. No tolerance policies are used to cover up lack of good judgment on the part of those who are supposed to enforce rules.
You can either hire people who make good policy decisions, fire the ones that don't. Or you keep those that do no make good policy decisions and take away their ability to make them by creating rules that require no thinking ability by those in charge of enforcing them.

Michael

[mkh]

Couldn't he just use a different finger?

Michael

Couldn't you just change the way you spell your name?

Making a 3 year old change how he signs his name is just WRONG!!!!

[CheaperThanDirt]

Its not the weapons policy that is a problem. Its the no tolerance policy used to enforce it. No tolerance policies are used to cover up lack of good judgment on the part of those who are supposed to enforce rules.
You can either hire people who make good policy decisions, fire the ones that don't. Or you keep those that do no make good policy decisions and take away their ability to make them by creating rules that require no thinking ability by those in charge of enforcing them.

Michael

Good point. But, it's also the weapons policy. Weapon bans leave only bad guys with weapons. Teachers deserve the right to defend themselves at school just like anywhere else.

[BigJon10125]

Heck even in CA I can carry on campus!