A student at the Houston, Texas-area Clements High School has been suspended recently for making a Counter-Strike map of his school.
The grade 12 student, whose identity has been withheld, created the map and then uploaded it to a Counter-Strike server where he and his friends played. Two parents learned of the existence of the map, and complained to officials of the Fort Bend Independent School Districted, who called police. The student was arrested, and police searched his house, during which they confiscated a hammer they found in his bedroom as a potential weapon.
Ultimately, no charges were filed against the student. Nonetheless, officials decided he would be removed from the high school and sent to the district’s alternate education school, and that he would not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies with his classmates.
A special school board meeting called for May 2 to hear the student’s appeal was cancelled when four members of the board declined to appear. The student’s parents want the matter resolved quickly so that he may attend his graduation if the decision is overturned; however, the school board trustees who did not attend said the special meeting circumvented the district’s standard disciplinary process. Board member Stan Magee said that process can often take more than a month, and that in at least two other instances, the board has heard similar appeals in order to expedite cases involving special circumstances.
“This goes back to Columbine. Ever since that horrid incident took place schools today have to take every incident that is reported very seriously,” Fort Bend ISD spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson said. “And they have to impress upon students how serious this type of thing is. We can’t joke about things or take things lightly anymore.”
Ironically, if the student had gone to a gun show and purchased a couple Glocks and an assault rifle, no action would have been taken, as it is his legally-protected right to do so.
