Elementary school suspends student for bringing LEGO gun to school

A Georgia mother is criticizing school officials after her 8-year-old son was suspended for bringing an object made from LEGO pieces to school that administrators determined resembled a gun.

The child, a student at Walnut Creek Elementary School, was suspended for three days, according to his mother, who said the incident has raised concerns about how the school district handled the situation.

“This is the weapon they say my child had,” the student's mother said while holding the LEGO creation. “This is clarified as a weapon to the school district.”

The student's mother said her son, who has autism and ADHD, did not make threats at school.

She argued that the schol did not need to move immediately to suspension. 

“My child did not go to school and say anything harmful or bad,” she said. “They could have simply explained to him, ‘Hey, we cannot build things that we think are a weapon or look like a gun.’”

She said she was in "panic mode" after the school principal contacted her Thursday about her son bringing a weapon into school.

“I was not sure what exactly he could have brought to school because we don't have any weapons or guns or anything at home,” she said.

After arriving at the school, she said administrators showed her the object assembled from LEGO bricks.

“I was thinking that there are probably other things out there that are more severe that people can take, or think about, or need to pay attention to and not my child’s LEGO creation,” she said.

The Henry County School District declined to comment on the specific disciplinary action involving the student.

“The Henry County Board of Education’s Code of Conduct defines various levels of infractions, and school administrators consult these definitions in using their discretion to determine student consequences,” the district said in a statement, according to local news reports. “In addition to consequences based on the level of violation, multiple violations during a school year could result in more severe consequences.”