Girl scolded in class for paper gun

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PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia woman said her daughter's elementary school overreacted when the girl was searched and scolded for possessing a paper gun.

Dianna Kelly said her daughter, fifth-grader Melody Valentin, was reprimanded by a school administrator at Newlin Fell Elementary School and had her belongings searched last week when she pulled out a paper gun her grandfather had made, WTXF-TV, Philadelphia, reported Wednesday.

Valentin said she decided to throw the folded-paper object away when she discovered it in her bag, but it was spotted by a boy who summoned administrators.

"He yelled at me and said I shouldn't have brought the gun to school and I kept telling him it was a paper gun but he wouldn't listen," Valentin said.

WTXF-TV said it was unable to reach school officials for comment. The School District of Philadelphia said it had not yet spoken to officials at the school about the incident.