Boy, 6, suspended for playing with imaginary bow and arrow

Thursday, November 5, 2015
CINCINNATI, OH (KTRK) -- A 6-year-old boy is facing a three-day suspension from school because he pretended to shoot an imaginary bow and arrow during recess.

The boy's parents, Matthew and Martha Miele, told WLWT-TV their son was pretending to be a Power Ranger. When a teacher at his school noticed him pretending to shoot a bow and arrow, she took the boy to the principal's office.

The young boy's parents were then called and told the boy was being suspended for making threatening gestures.
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"I have no tolerance for any real, pretend, or imitated violence. The punishment is an out of school suspension," a letter from the principal read.

"I don't see anything wrong with the way he was playing," Matthew Miele told ABC affiliate WCPO-TV. "The punishment is so severe in this it's hard as a parent to try to make this a teachable moment for our kid so we can move forward in a healthy manner."

His parents are considering transferring him to another school. They believe it's healthy for their child to have a strong imagination.



"I can't stop him from pretending to be a super hero. I can't stop him from playing Ninja Turtles. I can't stop him from doing these things and I don't think it would be healthy to do so," Martha Miele told WLWT-TV.
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