Texas School Suspends a Nine-Year-Old Boy for Making ‘Terroristic Threats’ With His Magic ‘Hobbit’ Ring

by Cassy Fiano | February 2, 2015 2:22 pm

Imagination is a key part of childhood — or at least, it used to be. But when one little boy told his classmate that he had a magical “Hobbit” ring that could make him disappear, his school promptly suspended him for making what they called “terroristic” threats.

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According to Kermit Elementary School officials, 9-year-old Aiden Steward told a classmate that he possessed a magic ring forged in Mount Doom — a fictional location from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series.

Aiden’s father, Jason, told The Daily News that his family had just watched The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies earlier that week, and that his son “didn’t mean anything” when he told his classmate he was in possession of the “one ring to rule them all.”

“Kids act out movies that they see. When I watched Superman as a kid, I went outside and tried to fly,” he said.

“I assure you my son lacks the magical powers necessary to threaten his friend’s existence,” he added. “If he did, I’m sure he’d bring him right back.”

Kermit Elementary Principal Roxanne Greer told the Odessa American that she could not comment on the suspension, because “all student stuff is confidential,” but Steward said that she told him that any and all threats to a child’s safety — including magical ones — would be taken seriously by the school.

He also said that he requested, in writing, a detailed explanation as to how his son’s statements constituted a “terroristic threat,” and that he was told by a representative of the Kermit Independent School District that the school would mail him a letter.

This may be the absolute stupidest reason a school has ever come up with to suspend a child. I know it’s hard for school administrators to fathom, but there are these crazy things called “creativity” and “make believe” and “fantasy”, and typically, these are things that should be encouraged, not punished.

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/education/texas-school-suspends-nine-year-old-boy-making-terroristic-threats-magic-hobbit-ring/

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