7 Year Old, Samuel Burgos Toy Gun:Pembroke Pines School Expulsion

by NowPublic Staff | October 6, 2010 at 03:08 pm

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Second Grader From Pembroke Pines Expelled Bringing Toy Gun To A Broward County School

Is it Zero Tolerance gone mad? Or is does the punishment fit the crime?

Samuel Burgos is serving a year expulsion for bringing a clear plastic toy guy (see video) to Pembroke Pines charter elementary school in Broward County in Florida.

Broward County has a Zero Tolerance policy for any sort of gun-like projectile device, apparently, including a toy guy that never left young Burgos' back pack.

"No child should be disciplined in this manner," said Magdiel Burgos, Samuel's father. "He made an honest mistake, OK. And he's paying dear life for it, and it just isn't fair."

Samuel, now 8, has been out of school for almost a year. His parents have home-schooled him since he was expelled for bringing a clear plastic, spring-action toy gun to school, which fired plastic beads.
"He has been deprived of an education. My son made a mistake, and they kept him out a year," said Samuel's mother, Karen Burgos.

Apparently, the school board stands behind the decision to expel Samuel Borgos, now 8. - according to school records reported on by CNN the expulsion decision was made by School Superintendent James Notter .

Samuel says he "misses his friend."

Samuel said that he was playing "army" with his friends one weekend, and he decided to hide the toy gun from his brother, so he placed it in his school bag. He went to school on Monday and said that he forgot he had the toy with him.

And in final wrinkle since the parents of Samuel Borgos have appealed the expulsion decision it was never formally signed and the expulsion is not "official." So when the expulsion appeal is heard next month there is an outside chance that Samuel may be expelled from another year.