Zachary Bowlin’s father, Marty Bowlin, is angry over the fact that Edgewood Middle School suspended his son for ten days, all because he clicked that heart button on an Instagram post, made by a friend. Reportedly, Zachary and his friends enjoy playing with BB guns and his friend posted an image of an airsoft, or BB gun on Instagram. The school may have overreacted, however, as the friend did caption the image with the word, “ready.”
Student’s father said all his son did was ‘like’ the image on Instagram
Marty Bowlin told Fox 19 that his son never shared the post, or commented on it, and did not make a threatening post on the website.
He said his son merely “liked” the Instagram image. Bowlin said he was “livid.” He said he just sat there thinking they suspended his son for ten days, just for clicking “like” on an image of a gun on social media.
A "like" is now potentially a terrorist threat. Seriously? https://t.co/ssZTvKkC9d
— Blue Lives Matter (@bluelivesmtr) May 9, 2017
However, the middle school, located in Trenton, Ohio argued that the Instagram post itself showed potential for “school violence,” while Zachary’s “liking” it pretty much showed approval for the idea. Superintendent Russ Fussnecker told Fox 19 in a statement that the school was acting in the interests of their students.
Fussnecker said the school board has no tolerance for violence, harassing, bullying, or disruptive behavior deemed inappropriate by students.
He said that they are subject to any discipline noted in the students' code of conduct when they are off school property, if that misbehavior can affect the educational process adversely.
Middle school student suspended for liking #Gun picture on social media. Read full story https://t.co/X2dWY0X3q3 Please Retweet @JoeRockWBAB pic.twitter.com/4ppVo2eVnF
— 102.3 WBAB (@1023WBAB) May 9, 2017
Fussnecker added that any potential threat via social media will be taken seriously right down to those who have “liked” a particular post that might, potentially, endanger the safety and health of their students or be against the educational process.
The school contacted parents by email about the incident, assuring them that they did not believe there was a threat to students, despite their action of suspending the Ohio teenager. The email said that school officials had been made aware of an alleged threat by a student to bring a gun to school. They said they acted on the potential threat to the students’ safety quickly, giving the matter the utmost importance.
However, the email went on to stress that all students are safe at Edgewood Middle School and that schooling would continue as normal.
Zachary amazed he was suspended over clicking 'like' on a post
As for Zachary, who has now been allowed to return to school, he said that one night, at around 7 or 8 p.m., he was scrolling through Instagram, saw the image and “liked it.” The following morning at school he was amazed to be called into the office and patted down by staff and checked for weapons.
According to a report by the International Business Times, the student who made the post in the first place is still not back at school. However, there is nothing to suggest that he or she planned to act violently.
This story brings to mind another recent incident, where a Wisconsin high school was locked down and evacuated after a student arrived at the school in a Stormtrooper costume on Star Wars Day, or “May the 4th Be With You” day as it is popularly known.
