[July 22, 2011] Suspension will stick for boy who brought 'toy' to school Tweet Jul 22, 2011 (Charleston Daily Mail - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- An Andrew Jackson Middle School student's record will continue to reflect a suspension for bringing a pack of trick gum to school earlier this year. Kanawha County school board members voted 3-2 Thursday night not to change Brandon Glaspell's record. Board members Jim Crawford and Bill Raglin voted to lower the boy's reflected punishment to a reprimand after his father, Harry, approached the board on his son's behalf. "From the get-go it seems like the ball was dropped somewhere. If we could have all sat down and communicated, then this all could have been avoided," Harry Glaspell said. "I mean it's a gag gift. It's a toy." Originally, Brandon, 13, was given a 10-day suspension. School administrators wanted him to be expelled for a year for bringing a "deadly weapon" to school. The gum Brandon brought to school delivers a small shock when it is offered to someone and the metal "wrapper" is touched. At a meeting in June, the board voted to have the sixth-grader's record reflect only the 10-day suspension, but that was not enough for the boy's parents. Although it is his first offense, they fear the incident could follow him to college. Board members initially agreed with Brandon's parents when they removed the expulsion from his record. "I don't know how we can change history. The suspension actually did happen and in my mind if we change it we go back and rewrite history and I have a problem with that," board member Robin Rector said. Board President Pete Thaw said the expulsion was too severe of a punishment. He said such a measure is due to "zero tolerance, zero intelligence." But Thaw also felt the suspension should stick. Raglin, who cast his vote via teleconference, didn't think that removing the suspension amounted to historical revision. He cited instances of prisoners having their sentences reduced or reversed. Crawford, who has 38 years of experience teaching and coaching, also felt the suspension should be stricken from the boy's record. "Everyone around this table has made mistakes in the past," he said. "I don't want to do anything to hurt a child and I think he realized he made a mistake," Crawford said. "I believe in giving people second chances. "Kids make mistakes, but we can't hang them." Board members also delayed a vote on the 2012 school calendar to gather more public comments. The calendar would have students start class 12 days earlier than this year. Comments can still be submitted, but not viewed, to school board attorney Jim Withrow at [email protected]. @tagline:Contact writer Amber Marra at [email protected] or 304-348-4843. To see more of the Charleston Daily Mail, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailymail.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, Charleston Daily Mail, W.Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]