The boy's conviction for disorderly conduct is now before the state Supreme Court where the Wisconsin chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and two national juvenile justice agencies, the Juvenile Law Center of Philadelphia and the National Center for Youth Law in Oakland, are arguing it as a free speech case and an irrational overreaction to school violence. The National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers should be joining in the boy's defense to protect the free exploration of ideas and creative expression in the classroom. Behind the rise of zero-tolerance policies in our schools is a strong desire to expel from classrooms the students who most need to be there. Once our schools are cleared of all students except those who sit with their hands folded and bring a clean hankie every day, teachers can present their well-organized lesson plans without imaginary distraction by fictional beheadings. Since Columbine and other instances of random violence occurred in schools around the country, the excuse is school security.
Adolescence can be a tortured time for many young people.
Obviously, many people believe schools would be much more pleasant places if all of those troubled adolescents would just go away. The boy who wrote the head-lopping story has no record of violence except to certain rules of spelling and grammar. He apologized to the teacher and said he did not mean the story as a threat. Indeed, not a single head has been whacked off at the school. Professionals who work with young people certainly have a right to be concerned about expressions of violence.