Hard to take “educators” seriously when you read this: Deaf boy, 3, told his sign language name violates school weapons policy | Fox News

This was back in 2012. A deaf 3 year old can’t sign his own name “Hunter” because it violates an absurdly stupid policy about making a gun shape with his fingers.

Does anyone with a functioning brain cell think a deaf 3 year old is doing this as a threat? Grand Island Public Schools are run by morons.

What Ever Happened to This Stupidity?

(AI search answer)

The case involving 3-year-old Hunter Spanjer in Grand Island, Nebraska, in August 2012 was resolved quickly in favor of the family after significant public outcry and legal intervention.

The Outcome
Within days of the story breaking, the Grand Island Public Schools district reversed its position. On August 29, 2012, just one day after the controversy went national, district spokesman Jack Sheard issued a statement clarifying that the school district was not requiring Hunter to change his name sign and that no student had been asked to do so https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-gun-parent-flna968762 https://www.clickondetroit.com/family/2012/08/29/boys-parents-nebraska-school-district-at-odds-over-gun-sign-for-name/.

The district stated they were “working with the parents to come to the best solution” and emphasized that their mission remained “Every Student, Every Day, a Success” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-gun-parent-flna968762.

(“Working with the parents” – the solution was pretty obvious, duh!)

Key Factors in the Resolution

• Legal Pressure: The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stepped in immediately. The NAD stated they were prepared to assist the family with legal action if the school did not honor its nondiscrimination policy, while the ACLU sent a letter asking the school to rethink its position http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/29/nebraska-school-district-says-deaf-student-not-required-to-change-sign-language.html
• https://www.nad.org/2012/08/28/nad-condemns-schools-ban-of-name-sign-for-three-year-old-boy/.
• Public Support: A Facebook page titled “Let this Deaf Child Keep His Name Sign” garnered over 5,300 likes within days, generating hundreds of calls and emails to the school district https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-gun-parent-flna968762 http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/29/nebraska-school-district-says-deaf-student-not-required-to-change-sign-language.html.
• Policy Clarification: The school district clarified that while they have a “Weapons in Schools” policy, it was being misapplied. The NAD argued that a name sign is not a weapon and does not intend to resemble an item that could cause injury https://www.nad.org/2012/08/28/nad-condemns-schools-ban-of-name-sign-for-three-year-old-boy/.

Current Status
Hunter Spanjer was allowed to keep his original name sign, which is formed by crossing his index and middle fingers and waving the hand (a gesture derived from the letters “H” and “R” in Signing Exact English) https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-gun-parent-flna968762. The incident served as a high-profile example of the conflict between rigid school safety policies and the linguistic rights of the deaf community. The school district subsequently reaffirmed its commitment to teaching American Sign Language (ASL) and adhering to state standards https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-gun-parent-flna968762.