Recently a student was reported by his school to the police for drawing a picture in his notebook that was interpreted as a depiction of a weapon. Based on this, and the fact that he tinkered with electronics in his spare time, he was arrested.
He made no threats and the police chief, Pat Moran, has said: “There was no indication he was making a bomb, or using a bomb or detonating a bomb,”
This petition asks that the federal government, with assistance from mental health professionals, establish a national standard for schools stating which behaviors are considered signs of future violence.
This standard would stress that depictions of weapons in art or writing are not, on their own, cause for concern.
We hope that this would help to prevent false arrests like this in the future.