New Jersey Student in Trouble For Pencil Twirling

[Viritica]

The state is still stupid.

Nah, it's tolerable here. This instance? Yes, it is. All the time? Nope.

What do you mean "in this instance"? It should never be tolerable.

[Rabotnikisoyedinennyye]

A 13-year-old boy was the most famous kid in school for a few weeks.

A simple pencil twirling incident landed Ethan Chaplin in hot water with his school, which threatened to suspend him after a classmate claimed he was spinning the writing utensil like a gun.

But after media attention from PIX11 and around the world, school officials backed off.

Letters to Ethan’s father, Michael, show the school found his son did nothing wrong at all, there would be no disciplinary action and the Superintendent was even confident the issue would be behind all of them.

And that’s exactly what happened, until Ethan’s father received startling communication from New Jersey’s Department of Child Protection and Permanency and Department of Children and Families.

“I received a letter from them saying they had found an incident of abuse or neglect regarding Ethan because I refused to take him for psychological evaluation,” Michael said.

In an effort to play along and clear his name, Michael did take his son to be evaluated.

Ethan was seen by a social worker, had his blood drawn and urine taken.

In the end, no behavioral problem was ever found.

The state, it seems, is ignoring that set of testing, demanding even more and this time if Michael doesn’t comply, they are threatening to terminate his parental rights and free Ethan up for adoption.

“All I can do is keep fighting. keep telling the truth and presenting the evidence. That is all I can do and hopefully the state does the right thing,” Michael said.

He has even reached out to Governor Chris Christie’s office, who replied they would contact the Dept. of Children and Families to investigate.

“…I’m scared because they have a habit of running away with things unchecked and that’s exactly what’s going on. They’re operating unchecking,” Michael said.

PIX11 tried to get a comment from DCPP and NJ Department of Children and Families but hit a road block there.

We were told they agency can’t discuss the allegations or even acknowledge they have involvement with the family.

http://wgntv.com/2014/06/11/dad-nj-thre ... -incident/

So, what do you think? Is the United States education system becoming worse each and every year? Are simple rules being wrongfully enforced? Should this student have been put through this ordeal for simply twirling a pencil? Since it is something that students across the nation twirl pencils, i'll admit my guiltiness of the "crime."

I hardly believe this child should have been put through this trouble because of simply twirling a pencil in class. Also, I don't see how it ever becomes serious enough for the state to threaten to take the child away from the father for being allowed to twirl a pencil in class.

Welp, I hate New Jersey now.

[Libertarian California]

Aye whadda they doin' ovah der in Noo Joisey with da pencils and da guns and whatnot?

[Saruhan]

I used to pretend my pencils were missiles, should I have been interrogated for harboring WMDs?

Yes, off to Guantanamo bay with you

[Wisconsin9]

http://wgntv.com/2014/06/11/dad-nj-thre ... -incident/

So, what do you think? Is the United States education system becoming worse each and every year? Are simple rules being wrongfully enforced? Should this student have been put through this ordeal for simply twirling a pencil? Since it is something that students across the nation twirl pencils, i'll admit my guiltiness of the "crime."

I hardly believe this child should have been put through this trouble because of simply twirling a pencil in class. Also, I don't see how it ever becomes serious enough for the state to threaten to take the child away from the father for being allowed to twirl a pencil in class.

Welp, I hate New Jersey now.

Congratulations, you can now call yourself an American.

[Saruhan]

At least I now understand all the American jokes about New Jersey

[Wisconsin9]

At least I now understand all the American jokes about New Jersey

This is actually the kind of thing Florida usually does. New Jersey just sucks.

[Saruhan]

At least I now understand all the American jokes about New Jersey

This is actually the kind of thing Florida usually does. New Jersey just sucks.

Meh, it's all the same to me anyway. People give Americans shit for not knowing about small divisions in other nations but I could name maybe 15, 20 at most of the States. New Jersey is in New England right?

[Verdo-Releignia]

Fucking idiots need some psychiatric evaluation themselves, fuck all of them.
Im pissy tonight and I don't know why

[Wisconsin9]

This is actually the kind of thing Florida usually does. New Jersey just sucks.

Meh, it's all the same to me anyway. People give Americans shit for not knowing about small divisions in other nations but I could name maybe 15, 20 at most of the States. New Jersey is in New England right?

Two states south, actually. You'd think, it being New [Place in England], but no, they have to go and make things all confusing.

[The Greater Ohio Valley]

This has to be a joke, right? In trouble for twirling a pencil? Wut?

[Blazedtown]

At least I now understand all the American jokes about New Jersey

This is actually the kind of thing Florida usually does. New Jersey just sucks.

No, this is this kind of thing Florida usual does.

[The Serbian Empire]

Meanwhile, in North Carolina:

"Pencil twirling looks like a gun? Make pencil twirling a mandatory course to graduate high school!"

Because proposed education programs in regards to safe handling and dispelling misinformation is equally ridiculous to the notion that pencil-twirling is the first sign of a mentally disturbed gunman.

It's a good thing he didn't point it vertically towards the sky, because he could have kicked off World War III.

That is true. New Jersey would consider it a missile.

[Oaledonia]

Nah, it's tolerable here. This instance? Yes, it is. All the time? Nope.

What do you mean "in this instance"? It should never be tolerable.

"The state is still stupid"

I replied that no state is always stupid.

That is true. New Jersey would consider it a missile.

"Hurr hurr NJ worst state"

[Cata Larga]

Is the United States education system becoming worse each and every year?

Yes.

Are simple rules being wrongfully enforced?

Yes.

Should this student have been put through this ordeal for simply twirling a pencil?

Hell no.

[Nierr]

I know exactly what happened:

Ethan is a good, normal kid.

Kid X who reported him is an asshole.

Kid X doesn't like Ethan because of past events, so to spite him reports Ethan for the stupidest shit.

Or:

Kid X is a hard-ass left winger, who doesn't understand what fun is and who thinks that if somebody makes a finger gun, they will become a psychotic shooter.

Or you don't know what happened at all and you're just trying to vilify a child for whatever reasons.

[Nierr]

I fail to see how this matters to anything within this thread.

*Sigh* It doesn't. Welcome to summer.

Founded in January.

Right. Summer.

[Draica]

This is insane. What is wrong with you people? What is wrong with these anti-gun people? What is wrong with New Jersey? What the heck?

[Wisconsin9]

This is insane. What is wrong with you people? What is wrong with these anti-gun people? What is wrong with New Jersey? What the heck?

I'm an "anti-gun" person and I think this is ridiculous.

[Nierr]

My state does it yet again. This will get us on the map for sure!

You're already on the map. There are no maps that New Jersey isn't on.

Unless, of course, those maps are of places that aren't New Jersey/places that aren't near New Jersey.

[The Serbian Empire]

What do you mean "in this instance"? It should never be tolerable.

"The state is still stupid"

I replied that no state is always stupid.

That is true. New Jersey would consider it a missile.

"Hurr hurr NJ worst state"

They're probably not the only ones who would consider it a missile, though.

[Milograd]

My state does it yet again. This will get us on the map for sure!

You're already on the map. There are no maps that New Jersey isn't on.

Speaking as a resident of New Jersey, you are actually wrong.

The State has recently mandated the removal of all appearances of New Jersey from maps of New Jersey within New Jersey borders because, regretfully, New Jersey resembles a Type 95 rifle whenever the state is turned on its side. This action was taken out of concern for the mental health and comfort of New Jersey Public School students and is wholly intended to protect the learning environment that is nurtured within the Garden State's renowned schooling system.

[Wisconsin9]

You're already on the map. There are no maps that New Jersey isn't on.

Speaking as a resident of New Jersey, you are actually wrong.

The State has recently mandated the removal of all appearances of New Jersey from maps of New Jersey within New Jersey borders because, regretfully, New Jersey resembles a Type 95 rifle whenever the state is turned on its side. This action was taken out of concern for the mental health and comfort of New Jersey Public School students and is wholly intended to protect the learning environment that is nurtured within the Garden State's renowned schooling system.

That's just the cover story. They're actually deleting all record of New Jersey so that nobody realizes when they shoot it into the sun.

[Cata Larga]

You're already on the map. There are no maps that New Jersey isn't on.

Speaking as a resident of New Jersey, you are actually wrong.

The State has recently mandated the removal of all appearances of New Jersey from maps of New Jersey within New Jersey borders because, regretfully, New Jersey resembles a Type 95 rifle whenever the state is turned on its side. This action was taken out of concern for the mental health and comfort of New Jersey Public School students and is wholly intended to protect the learning environment that is nurtured within the Garden State's renowned schooling system.

The sad thing is, taking into account what happened with the pencils, I almost believed you.

[Milograd]

I must point out that Halloween celebration during the school day in New Jersey is always a blast.