cap gun
© Unknown
School officials in Calvert County, Md., will not lift the suspension they gave to a kindergartner for bringing a toy cap gun onto his school bus in May despite allegations that school officials interrogated the boy for more than two hours until he wet himself.

Dowell Elementary School in Lusby refused to expunge the suspension in a letter on Friday, which was obtained by The Washington Post. The boy, who was not identified, was suspended on May 29 for 10 days. The punishment was scaled down to three days after a disciplinary hearing was held.

The letter said the suspension would not be removed because the boy "did bring a cap gun in his book bag" and that some kids were frightened, not knowing whether the gun was real or fake.

The boy was accused of carrying a cowboy-style cap gun in his backpack onto the school bus. He told his mother he did it because he wanted to show it to a friend, who had brought a water gun the day before.

When it was discovered, his parents claim he was taken into an office and questioned for more than two hours without them being notified.

"The school was quite obviously taking it very seriously, and he's 5 years old," said his mother, who asked not to be identified. "Why were we not immediately contacted?"

She said during that interrogation her little boy uncharacteristically peed his pants.

According to the school, the boy was only questioned for five to seven minutes.

His mother did not know that he had the plastic, orange-tipped toy in his bag when he went to school that morning.

"I have no problem that he had a consequence to his behavior," said his mother, who is also a teacher in Calvert. "What I have a problem with is the severity."

His parents plan to appeal the decision with the Board of Education. They are unwilling to accept such a serious allegation sitting on their son's permanent record.