Society's Child
"He's deaf, and his name sign, they say, is a violation of their weapons policy," Hunter Spanjer's father Brian told Channel 10/11.
Hunter uses Signing Exact English or SEE - a form of manual communication that uses modified ASL handshapes in an effort to better mimic the spoken English language.
"Anybody that I have talked to thinks this is absolutely ridiculous," Hunter's grandmother told the news outlet. "This is not threatening in any way."
The preschool, which has a strict zero-tolerance policy toward "any instrument...that looks like a weapon," would not discuss the matter, but said they were working with the parents on a compromise.
Meanwhile, the ACLU and the National Association of the Deaf have reached out to the family in support, committing themselves to assist should a legal avenue be pursued.
Reader Comments
"Preschool Weapons Policy". The psychopaths that influence our society and the authoritarian followers that ignorantly accept, and even promote, controlling and manipulative 'policies' are humanity's own worst enemy.
From legal dictionary, "The policy of applying laws or penalties to even minor infringements of a code in order to reinforce its overall importance and enhance deterrence...the phrase zero tolerance has signified a philosophy toward illegal conduct that favors strict imposition of penalties regardless of the individual circumstances of each case".
Sounds like a controlling and manipulative policy that goes against the cooperative, tolerant nature of normal humans.
'Zero Tolerance' might benefit Humanity if enough us had the knowledge and awareness of the psychopathic control system we live under to 'not tolerate' it anymore!
...not being permitted to communicate. Society is out of control and when school employees fail to maintain their common sense - it is a sure sign that we, as a society are well out of control. This is Child abuse and the school employees should be addressed.
The parents need to fight this battle, technically they should not have to - but - we live in such a convoluted and messed up society that it is necessary to bring issues like this to the full attention of anybody willing to learn.
The Child has a name and it is his right to communicate his name - in his own method - if I lived in that country I would be front and centre - Child Protection in all its forms is something we should all have at the forefront of our conscience.
Much Peace ...to all abused Children everywhere...
unless a zero tolerance anticipates special exceptions it will lead to closed minds that lead to humanity becoming its own worst enemy.
This is a living example that proves this point.
the school adminstration has closed its mind and sooner or later they will be at war with parents despite their best intentions.