Crackdown on Student Threats
Tennessee’s Harsh Punishment of Kids
Students in Tennessee are being kicked out of school and arrested on felony charges, sometimes because of rumors and misunderstandings. Experts say there’s little evidence that zero-tolerance laws make schools safer.
An 11-Year-Old Denied Making a Threat and Was Allowed to Return to School. Tennessee Police Arrested Him Anyway.
A state law makes threats of mass violence at school a felony, even if they’re not credible. Judges and school officials say the law unnecessarily traumatizes kids.
Highlights From This Series
Sept. 25, 2024
Junior, an 11-year-old, is accused of making a threat at school, which he denies. Officials let him go home with his mom. Hours later, a deputy tracks him down at a family dinner at a LongHorn Steakhouse, cuffing him in the parking lot.
Aug. 8, 2024
Ty, a 13-year-old with autism, is arrested, charged with a felony and detained for telling a teacher not to look in his backpack because the school would blow up. Ty later explains that he was trying to protect the stuffed bunny inside.
September 2023
Lee, a 10-year-old fifth grader in East Tennessee, is accused by fellow students of pointing a finger gun. The school expels him for a year for making a threat of mass violence.
