TREDYFFRIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) — The mother of a 6-year-old with Down syndrome says the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District mishandled an incident involving her daughter after she pretended to shoot her teacher with her finger. Maggie Gaines says 6-year-old Margot, a student at Valley Forge Elementary School, now has a police report on file.
In November, Margot became frustrated and made a gesture that sparked a disciplinary investigation.
The Tredyffrin-Easttown School District calls it a threat assessment.
It was concluded nobody was in harm’s way as a result of Margot’s statement and her words were labeled a transient threat, which Gaines explains was an expression of anger.
However, the district said its policy still called for the police to be contacted.
“They get this phone call and I was fine with everything up until calling the police,” Gaines said. “And I said, ‘You absolutely do not have to call the police. You know, this is ridiculous.’”
Even though police sources confirm it is a confidential record, Gaines fears potential ramifications for her daughter.
“My daughter got frustrated and pointed her finger at her teacher and said, ‘I shoot you,’” Gaines said. “At that point, they went to the principal’s office and it was quickly assessed that she didn’t even really know what she was saying.”
Gaines said it was a severe overreaction by the school district and that they could’ve responded to the issue in a much different way.
“They were asking her questions, and she was saying, ‘Oh, I shoot mommy,’ laughs, or, ‘I shoot my brother.’ The principal asked, ‘Did you mean to hurt your teacher?’ And she said no and it seemed like she didn’t even know what that meant,” Gaines stated.
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