Police Investigated a HS Student Who Drew a Square Root Symbol in Math Class
In a story that I didn’t believe at first, a student at a Louisiana high school was investigated — the police searched his home for weapons — because his classmates said he made vague threats and drew something that looked like a gun.
It was actually a square root sign.
This happened in math class.
Seriously. They went into his home to make sure he didn’t have weapons to carry out his alleged “terrorist” threat.
I guess they all thought he was…
(•_•)
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)
… radicalized.
On Tuesday afternoon, February 20th, Detectives investigated an allegation of terrorist threats at the Oberlin High School. The investigation revealed that a student was completing a math problem and drew the sign for square root. Another student made a comment that the symbol looked like a gun and several other students made similar comments. The student in question made a comment, which taken out of context, “could” sound like a threat.
Detectives also searched the students home and found no evidence that he possessed or had immediate access to any type of firearm. Further there was no evidence that the student had any intent to commit harm upon any students or faculty.
The student used extremely poor judgement in making the comment, but in light of the actual circumstances, there was clearly no evidence to support criminal charges.
The matter was turned over to the Allen Parish School Board for determination of disciplinary action.
I don’t know what he said that concerned his classmates so much, but this seems like irrational thinking run wild.
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Ah, it Louisiana for heavens sakes. The home of the Piggly Wiggly and Jitney Jungle grocery chains. And down there in Klan Country the 'square root' symbol looks awfully similar to the BLM something or other.
Don't think so Hal, but it might be considered bragging (at least for anyone but me).
Why should a person who doesn't immediately recognize what the symbol for a square root is be permitted to be a police officer? This is more of an indictment of the failure of Louisiana schools to educate people than anything else.
So true, neither the police nor the other students recognized it (I wonder if the teacher did). Either that or everyone is so psyched out that they resemble terrified little children, instead of (supposed) adults.
The teacher obviously understood the symbol but likely let the investigation go forward out of a feeling of CYA. I'd be more concerned about the fellow student who reported it who was in high school but didn't recognize a symbol that should have been understood in early middle school (5th or 6th grade) math.
Ignorance once again is the core problem.
Our county's Superintendent of Schools had to ask people to please stop sharing social media posts with threats against schools, and report them to the police, instead. Apparently, there was a threat against a high school with the initials "SHS", and folks immediately thought it was against our local high school with those initials. Turns out it was in another state, but some folks panicked, anyway. But the immediate reaction was to hit "share" or retweet, or whatever, rather than to refer to law enforcement for investigation.
Panicking over common initials and square root signs. Ugh.
No adults seem embarrassed by this reaction. They should be.
Chasing down every single kid muttering the word "gun" is a terrible response designed for school administrators to declare that they're "doing something," even if what they're doing is screwing over their own students, censoring speech, and not actually making schools safer in any way.
The only thing schools are teaching anymore is "Be afraid. Be very afraid."