Guys seriously he's in second grade, does he really need to worry about fashion?

It was for a special occasion anyway. Any moron can tell the difference between clothing glorifying violence and this hat. Zero-tolerance policies are out of control.

I think schools feel stuck, and although quite frankly I'd rather them use sensible policies and not the zero tolerance crap, if they let this kid slide, then the next kid who wears a T-shirt with someone shooting guns can't get in trouble, otherwise helicopter mommy and daddy will sue over their special must-wear-his-glock-shirt snowflake.

I think the Zero Tolerance policies are a symptom not the cause.

♫ Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination...♫ :)

I think, to a point, the school is being made the villain here. They have a policy that you can't wear weapons-related clothing and the hat counts. Saying "They banned the hat" it sounds a lot worse than "They asked him to put it in his cubby for the day." Honestly, it sucks but I doubt he's scarred for life.

Not allowing the hat because of the action figures' tiny accessories was overkill. However, having a veteran present the kid with a medal to prove the opposite point was also overkill.

Hey Drolefille, where did it say he was suspended? I didn't see that in the article.

DS's original title was that he'd been suspended.

America has gotten out of control with everyone being so scared that they might accidentally offend someone. Political correctness is total crap in my opinion and the fact that the school reprimanded him for being PATRIOTIC really pisses off me when I know young men and women are dying for their country every day. This reminds me of an incident in California (where else?) where students were sent home for wearing American flag t-shirts. Check Fox News for the article it was in the beginning of June I believe. What has our great country come to if an 8 year old can't be patriotic at school?

They didn't reprimand him for being patriotic.

That's one of those hyperbolic statements that crosses into being a lie. They refused to let him wear guns on his hat. He can be as patriotic as he likes without depictions of weapons in any form. Hate the policy but stop trying to flag it as a war on patriotism. (And don't use our soldiers as a political currency, we have enough people trying to do that and they don't need your help.)

The flag T-shirt thing was another matter and I believe the school apologized for the actions.

I think you're referring to the students who wore those shirts during Cinco De Mayo. Not exactly the same situation.

I just wish they'd have the guts to stand up to parents. Little plastic toy soldiers are par for the course when it comes to boys' play things. The intent is very obviously not to promote violence. If they'd have what it takes to tell other parents their kid can't wear a t-shirt with a glock on it to school, this wouldn't be a problem. I understand it can be a little trickier with policies regarding things like medication, but this hat? Seriously?

Quite frankly, I would ban that hat too, not because of the guns, but because those things look sharp and someone could impale themselves on it. (I'm thinking of the Seinfeld where George's dad sat on the fusilli Jerry.) Not only that, the hat is way too big for him and he looks like an idiot.

$$$$$.
I think you see this more often in public schools but that could be biased on my part. My private schools all had uniforms/dress codes and you couldn't even have a T-shirt that you could see anything printed on through your polo. They had no trouble making you wear a rope belt if you forgot yours often enough
That was my argument ;)

The school out in CA did apologize, but I think this is just out there. I can understand if he showed up wearing a T-shirt that had a life sized glock or a shotgun on it, but little green toy soldiers???

Hey, like I said, hate the zero tolerance policy all you like ;)

He did this for a project not some show of patriotism. Oh and by the way he's friggin 8! Not that he can't be patriotic but if a kid that age is "patriotic" I am gonna look heavily at his adult influences.

This kid's hat wasn't banned because of the fact that it was sharp, or because it was too patriotic, or because it made for an awful fashion statement…

It was banned because the soldiers were carrying "weapons" (assuming, of course, that the reason the school gave was true and honest). However, if I were this kid's teacher, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Why is this the focus of attention when kids are bringing ACTUAL weapons into schools? The poor kid was probably excited about his hat (as I always was on hat day in elementary school, when I looked equally as dumb), and now he's become the focus of a ridiculous national news report.

And I'm sorry, but saying that they should have banned the hat because the weapons are sharp objects is ridiculous. Why don't we just ban pencils? And paper clips? And demand that toothpicks can never be used again for another school project!

You forgot knives for cutting glue...

@33girl.... aww come on now...green army men? Sharp? I have to pass the *rolling eyes* at you. Please tell me you aren't serious...hehehehe I think we all at some point have played with toy soldiers in our childhood and they are by far one of the least dangerous toys out there