GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) -
The suspension of the Upstate student who brought a drawing of a bomb to school has been lifted.
The child's mother said on Wednesday that the suspension of her son, who has special needs, had been lifted after a manifestation hearing. The hearing was to determine if the incident was linked to his disability.
Amy Parham, the boy's mother, said the school determined the episode was connected to the child's disability.
School officials and a student advocate, who is an expert in autism, attended to the two hour meeting.
Parham said her son, Rhett, had made the hand-drawn picture of the bomb during the weekend at home. Parham said her son is a fan of the video game Bomber Man and drew the cartoon-ish like explosive.
Parham said her son took the picture to Hillcrest Middle School, and that's where problems arose.
Parham said she was told that her son showed the picture to some older children, who reported him to school administration. She said her son was suspended indefinitely by the school.
On Wednesday that suspension was lifted.
"They actually reiterated to me they knew he was non-violent," said Parham. "They knew he was not actually having a bomb, creating or making a bomb. But that they could not go with out making an example of him and take some type of action because they were worried about their perception. Perception is actually the word he used. Perception is reality, and parents might think you have a bomb or [might be] violent."
Greenville County Schools spokesman Oby Lyles released this statement on Wednesday saying:
"It is troubling that incomplete and inaccurate information has been shared by the mother about the incident involving her child at Hillcrest Middle School. School districts are prohibited by law from releasing specific student discipline information without parental permission. The district prefers full disclosure of the incident, but the mother has refused our request to allow details about the incident to be released.
The school administration responded appropriately when threatening comments were made, investigated it fully, and acted in accord with applicable laws, policies and procedures to bring this incident to its proper closure."
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
17 Oct 2013, 2:30 am
