Second-Grader Suspended For Saying "Hell"

Second-grader suspended for saying 'hell

PITTSBURGH - A second-grader was suspended for a day for telling a classmate he would go to hell for saying, “I swear to God.”



Brandy McKenith, 7, was suspended for swearing for saying the word “hell,” but her family says she was referring to the biblical location of fire and brimstone.

She served the suspension Tuesday.

The Pittsburgh Public Schools’ student code of conduct prohibits profanity, but doesn’t provide a definition, spokeswoman Pat Crawford said. The school would not comment further.

Brandy’s father, Wayne McKenith, said when he learned about the suspension, he thought perhaps his daughter had said something worse, so he called the teacher for details. He was told another student overheard his daughter say the word.

“I said, ‘Hell? She got suspended for that?”’ McKenith said.

He said he asked the school to evaluate its profanity policy.

“‘Hell’ is like the least of the words in school today,” McKenith said. “You go home and turn on the TV tonight and tell me how many times you hear the word ’hell.’ And I mean network TV, not even cable.”

Without a clear definition, the district could run into problems enforcing the policy, said Witold Walczak, legal director of the Greater Pittsburgh chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“The school’s policy says ’no profanity’ and that’s not further defined,” Walczak said. “How should this little girl know that ‘hell’ is not allowed?”

“It’s questionable whether ‘hell’ is even a profanity, and it certainly isn’t in the way that she used it,” he added.

McKenith, a suburban Pittsburgh police detective, said family members aren’t “religious fanatics,” but there’s a healthy respect for the Lord, so he accepts her daughter’s explanation.

“She’s under the assumption that good people go to heaven and ... bad people go to hell,” he said Wednesday.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wow, what's your take?

Ryan

lol America is so funny, you at least have to beat someone to get suspended here I think, but for saying someting? no way, hey ever heard freedom of speach? that should be ok for little ones too

When the Constitution say Freedom Of Speech, tis true. Although there are times (As a younger child) where your speech is limited.

Ryan

Rather strict!

Our district just had a first grader who was sent ot the alternative school because he pulled a girl's head to his private parts and told her to suck his ...... So "hell" seems kind of mild to me.

Becky

Man I'm glad my school had other problems to deal with other than inforcing the no-profanity rule. I would have been suspended quite a bit

Stephanie

Kids these days. So mature... Next Pre-schoolers are going to be making out in the playhouse.

Ryan

Well Ryan, here's another topic that makes it easy for others to make fun of America and Americans. And you opened it

Ponrauil

It's nothing to laugh about though. It's pretty serious when you think about. Wait, I am sorry... Your country is perfect. *BULLSHIT*

Ryan

where the heck do you work? I have a first-grader and I would pull my son out of the school if something like that happened. Granted, I did move to this district primarily for the schools, but stories like that REALLY scare me.

Here we go again... Ok Ryan, when I bash the US, it doesn't mean I think France is perfect. You'd be surprised about what I think of my country.
And yes, suspending a child for saying something he doesn't understand is laughable.

Ponrauil