Maryland first-grader suspended for pointing fingers at friends, saying 'pow'

A Maryland first-grader has been suspended for pointing his fingers like a gun at school.


The boy, a student at Roscoe Nix Elementary School in Silver Spring, was suspended for one day. The incident happened a week after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The family's attorney says the 6-year-old was playing with friends, not making threats.


"Evidently, he was pointing his finger at someone and saying, 'Pow,'" said Robin Ficker, an attorney for the family.

More on this story from NBCWashington.com | Previous reports

The boy's parents were scheduled to meet with school officials Wednesday.

The school system will not comment on individual disciplinary matters. But they did issue a statement detailing their typical procedure with younger students.

"Generally, in an incident involving the behavior of our younger students, we will make sure that the student and his family are well-informed of any behavior that needs to change and understand the consequences if the behavior does not change," said Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman Dana Tofig in a statement.

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America, land of the scared, home of the timid.

  • 3 votes
Reply#27 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:32 PM EST

God forbid any of these children who are recipients of toy guns purchased from Walmart, K-Mart, Toys-R-Us, Target ect..I guess they will all be in trouble too should they act out a western or play cops & robbers. Ridiculous.

    Reply#28 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:32 PM EST

    Over reaction at its best. I "fired" thousands of rounds of pow, kapow, etc. while playing cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, etc. My speciality was dramatic deaths when "hit" by a pow someone else "fired." Oh well, over reaction of this nature is better than an ambulance chaser filing a $100KK lawsuit against the state of CT.

    • 1 vote
    Reply#29 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:34 PM EST

    "...My speciality was dramatic deaths..."

    Brought back memories. One kid in my neighborhood was highly regarded as a "good dier (sp?)". He would thrash, scream, and moan for several minutes before expiring. He deserved an Oscar!

      #29.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:40 PM EST

      There is a petition on the White House website to have this idiot lawyer dis-barred. It is shocking that this idiot is using the tragedy of Sandy Hook to line his own pocket and hit the legal lottery. His name is Pinskey.

        #29.2 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:40 PM EST

        Wrong post, Gander?

        The attorney for the family in this article is named "Robin Ficker."

          #29.3 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:08 PM EST
          Reply

          My hometown has/had a really big rodeo and livestock show. On Go Western Day almost all the kids from 1 through 12 would dress western, and many wore toy guns to school. I guess today they would suspend about 95% of the student body.

          • 1 vote
          Reply#30 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:35 PM EST

          After running through their lockdown protocols!

          • 1 vote
          #30.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:09 PM EST

          Cowboys didn't carry guns. They used hugs and brownies.

          • 1 vote
          #30.2 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:21 PM EST
          Reply

          At least he was only playing and that is much better than using a real gun like you see other kids use in public schools in big cities.

          • 1 vote
          Reply#31 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:36 PM EST

          Ban Roy Rogers, Bonanza, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#32 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:37 PM EST

          LOL - Yeah right...what is wrong with this country...bunch of wimps.

          • 2 votes
          #32.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:39 PM EST
          Reply

          straight up .... That person who suspended him should be beat...This is american people where children grew up with Westerns....This country is screwed with dip @!$%#s like this person. If I were the parent I would kick that teachers ass....Period.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#33 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:38 PM EST

          Now, Dustin, violence solves nothing. A more fitting punishment would be to have the offending parties tied to a stake while six-year-olds shot them with index fingers and said "POW!" Parents could gather round and use other fingers to express themselves. Loud, and rude, comments would be encouraged. News crews welcome!

          • 2 votes
          #33.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:46 PM EST
          Reply

          This is exactly how to train a generation to be captivated by a forbidden fruit - very short sighted and ultimately counter-productive if your goal is to eliminate an adult fascination for guns. The generation that grew up with television glorifying cowboys/indians, cops/robbers, and WWII is the same that took to the streets to stop the VietNam war. This is not an issue to be addressed with a narrow simple mind.

          • 2 votes
          Reply#34 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:38 PM EST

          ah you are on to something. prior generation - vocal, advocates, and active. Teach the next to be docile, passive, lorded over. hmmmm

          • 1 vote
          #34.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 7:31 PM EST
          Reply

          So let's over react to everything kids do for a while now and support the wussification of America.

          • 3 votes
          Reply#35 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:40 PM EST

          Mission already accomplished, Dad.

            #35.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:11 PM EST
            Reply

            Indoctrination into the police state. By age 10, he won't dare act on an independent thought or whim. What a great citizen he will be!

            • 1 vote
            Reply#36 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:41 PM EST

            Those of you who agree with the school system are idiots. Did you ever play cops and robbers as a kid? Every watch superman, the Green Hornet? Anything? Were you ever a child? Good grief you people make me sick.

            • 3 votes
            Reply#37 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:43 PM EST

            Pointing a finger is okay. Pointing a gun is not. Stupid school.

            • 2 votes
            Reply#38 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:45 PM EST

            No word yet on the uprising to stop the toy gun sold in stores. Oh thats right that would cut into profits.What a story,the school staff just wanted 15 minutes of fame,at the kids expence.

              Reply#39 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:46 PM EST

              I'm sure the 6 year old can fully grasp what a suspension means. What a dumb punishment for a kid far to young to understand the meaning behind it. Honestly not sure what the meaning behind the suspension was other than idiocy but regardless the kid cannot understand the punishment.

              • 1 vote
              Reply#40 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:50 PM EST

              Was the finger loaded?

              • 3 votes
              Reply#41 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:52 PM EST

              If pointing a finger warrants such actions, why hasn't Uncle Sam been exiled to a deserted island yet?

              • 1 vote
              Reply#42 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:55 PM EST

              Ban handguns not fingers.

                Reply#43 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:55 PM EST
                Comment author avatarJeannie Glaspyvia Facebook

                Unbelievable, really? So you basically screwed this kids chance at a future cause the suspension will follow him all through school and come into question when he tries to go to college.

                • 4 votes
                Reply#44 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:56 PM EST

                This is so dumb, that I hope a lawyer will take the school district to court and sue them for millions of dollars. This kid just got a free college education and and may never have to work a day in his life. Let the lawsuits begin.

                • 3 votes
                Reply#45 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:57 PM EST

                I'm with you there, Galactus. (BTW - do you have a ray-gun finger that goes "ZAP!" rather than POW!?

                  #45.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:14 PM EST
                  Reply

                  Just "playing with friends" and "not making threats"? I seriously f**king doubt that. Good for the school in question for drawing the line.

                    Reply#46 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:57 PM EST

                    So what's next. A prison sentence for all kids that say "POW"? Seems like the next logical step.

                    What a crock.

                    • 2 votes
                    Reply#47 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:57 PM EST

                    trial as an adult with mandatory 20-to-life. you can't be too careful with the anti-socials.

                    • 1 vote
                    #47.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:02 PM EST
                    Reply

                    fire the teacher and the Principal and anyone else that works there....that thinks this is OK......replace them with someone with common sense!

                    • 1 vote
                    Reply#48 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:58 PM EST

                    When people make emotional, rather than logical decisions, they tend to be rash, when rash decisions are made, they are usually poor and lacking in common sense. Too bad this kid had to be victimized by that mentality. The school officials should take a step back and reconsider their foolish decision.

                      Reply#49 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:59 PM EST

                      He could have point a different fingure up.

                        Reply#50 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 5:59 PM EST

                        I'd volunteer mine in this instance!

                          #50.1 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:16 PM EST
                          Reply

                          Zero tolerance = zero sense

                          Too bad the "educators" are terrified of the shyster who would immediately file a humongous lawsuit should one of the classmates' parents claim that his/her little darlin' was intimidated by that threatening finger and now suffers from PTSD. Like Yakov says, "What a country!"

                          • 2 votes
                          Reply#51 - Wed Jan 2, 2013 6:00 PM EST
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