First grader punished for finger pointing

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma woman said she was outraged when school officials gave her 7-year-old son an in-school suspension for pointing his finger like a gun.

School officials -- without confirming the identity of the boy in question -- said a student pointed his finger like a gun repeatedly, even after being told "on more than one occasion" not to do it.

Lydia Fox said her son, Patrick Riley, received an in-school suspension Jan. 14 from Parkview Elementary School in Oklahoma City for using his finger to simulate a gun. She said she pulled the first-grader from the school rather than have him submit to the punishment, The Oklahoman reported Thursday.

"He doesn't really see why he got in trouble," Fox said. "I don't feel like he did anything to intentionally threaten or harass another student. It was just a 7-year-old boy being a 7-year-old boy."

District spokeswoman Stacey Boyer said "a student attending Parkview Elementary has repeatedly used his hands to simulate a gun and act as if he is shooting fellow students. The child has been told on more than one occasion to stop this behavior. The parent was notified on multiple occasions and has met with the principal to further discuss the ongoing behavior."

Boyer said she could not comment on disciplinary measures.