Deaf Toddler Can’t Return to School Until He Changes the Way He Signs His Name

A deaf 3-year-old boy was asked to change his name by preschool officials because his name violates the school’s ‘Weapon’s in School’ board policy – if you are a bit confused about what you just read, it doesn’t get any better I am afraid. I guess we have come to a place in our society where a school policy dictates how a child with disabilities signs his name!

Hunter Spanjer is your typical toddler who loves to go to the park, play football, and go to school, until his school decided that the way Spanjer signs his name remains them of a weapon which is a violation of their school policy. According to the "Weapons in Schools" Board Policy 8470 forbids "any instrument...that looks like a weapon.’ How about that?

Does a school policy trump an actual sign that’s been approved and registered with the Signing Exact English? Some school officials seem to think so.

"Anybody that I have talked to thinks this is absolutely ridiculous. This is not threatening in any way," said Hunter's grandmother Janet Logue.

Nicely said grandma – it is absolutely ridiculous that a school will put a toddler and his parents through something like that. Asking a parent to ‘please name your kid something else cause we can’t tolerate his name in our school’ it just doesn't make any sense.

The school officials thought they didn’t need to comment on the case. Why should they? After all if they have the authority to deny a child’s name, then they can brush the whole thing off.

Not so fast though, Spanjer’s parents have contacted the National Association of the Deaf and their lawyers are looking into the matter. Good for the parents!

Do you think we should be allowed to bend the rules in certain cases?

[Source: 1011 Now News]