Anonymous wrote:
As a teacher, I can appreciate the school system's point of view. While the child has a right to bring the backpack, it is causing a distraction. Should it? No. Does it? Yes.

If you are a woman, should the school be allowed to fire you if you get pregnant? A lot of kids will be distracted by a pregnant woman; it's fascinating to them.

Terrible and inappropriate analogy. I taught school. Sure, kids are fascinated, but it doesn't distract them after the first reaction. Are you serious?

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I can appreciate the school system's point of view. While the child has a right to bring the backpack, it is causing a distraction. Should it? No. Does it? Yes.

If you are a woman, should the school be allowed to fire you if you get pregnant? A lot of kids will be distracted by a pregnant woman; it's fascinating to them.

To have some kind of silly cultural phenomenon like "bronies" you'd at least have to have some level of shared cultural awareness in the first place.

But that's not the case here - remember, here we are dealing with dorky, clueless, knee-jerk 9-year olds who have zero social and cultural awareness.

The school's position should be that bullying is not acceptable.

Please provide definition of bullying. Remember teachers have to enforce this. Is eye-rolling bullying? Is laughing bullying? etc. etc. How do you stop that?

Anonymous wrote:The school is trying to avoid what they probably know will happen. You can have all of the anti-bullying education you want but kids will still tease other kids.

Actually, no.

Anonymous wrote:We just had that thread about a boy whose father didn't want him to have a My Little Pony birthday cake.

Now comes this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/21/grayson-bruce-school_n_5008131.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

"Grayson Bruce, the 9-year-old boy who gained national attention after being told he couldn’t wear his My Little Pony backpack to school, received good news this week.

According to a statement posted on the Buncombe County (North Carolina) School District’s Facebook page, the decision to ban the student’s backpack has been reversed."

Article goes on to say that the district was concerned because the backpack is a "trigger for bullying."

So, here is where I am getting lost: Why would a boy be bullied for wearing a My Little Pony backpack? Tons of boys like My Little Pony, and there are entire groups of men who are into it called "bronies." I'm really, really confused why this was an issue at all?

b/c THIS is normal

The school is trying to avoid what they probably know will happen. You can have all of the anti-bullying education you want but kids will still tease other kids.

As a teacher, I can appreciate the school system's point of view. While the child has a right to bring the backpack, it is causing a distraction. Should it? No. Does it? Yes.

Anonymous wrote:“We sincerely regret that the issue of being told to leave the bookbag at home was perceived as blaming Grayson. While that was not the intent, the perception became reality."

If you tell someone to stop doing the thing he was being bullied about, you are indeed blaming him.

As resident of Virginia, I am always surprised when an idiotic public official is not from my home state.

Ha! I'm from Arizona, I think their idiotic public official count trumps Virginia's any day.

“We sincerely regret that the issue of being told to leave the bookbag at home was perceived as blaming Grayson. While that was not the intent, the perception became reality."

If you tell someone to stop doing the thing he was being bullied about, you are indeed blaming him.

As resident of Virginia, I am always surprised when an idiotic public official is not from my home state.

What silly donkeys, that school administration.

It's not right, but if this boy is going to choose to carry MLP and his parents are going to allow it, they need to teach him how to handle the bullying. He's going to need to know how to identify it, how to report it, how to avoid it, etc. And, he's going to have to develop the ability to actually follow through with reporting it.

Totally agree. It's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. It is just not smart. No matter that the bull should be taught not to charge.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So, here is where I am getting lost: Why would a boy be bullied for wearing a My Little Pony backpack? Tons of boys like My Little Pony, and there are entire groups of men who are into it called "bronies." I'm really, really confused why this was an issue at all?

I can't imagine you are seriously confused about this. MLP is considered a girl's toy and kids bully other kids who are different. Not right, but it's what happens.

I have a boy who beats to his own drum and is capable of standing up to quite a lot, including what others would consider verbal bullying. But, he has his limits. If something is too girly, such as princess related things and/or MLP, he would choose not to take it to school. And, while there may be a group called "bronies", few know about it and it's not going to change how kids treat boys who carry MLP gear to school.

It's not right, but if this boy is going to choose to carry MLP and his parents are going to allow it, they need to teach him how to handle the bullying. He's going to need to know how to identify it, how to report it, how to avoid it, etc. And, he's going to have to develop the ability to actually follow through with reporting it.

The school's position should be that bullying is not acceptable. Period. This could have been a teaching moment against bullying. Instead they ended up bullying the MLP kid!

Anonymous wrote:

So, here is where I am getting lost: Why would a boy be bullied for wearing a My Little Pony backpack? Tons of boys like My Little Pony, and there are entire groups of men who are into it called "bronies." I'm really, really confused why this was an issue at all?

I can't imagine you are seriously confused about this. MLP is considered a girl's toy and kids bully other kids who are different. Not right, but it's what happens.

I have a boy who beats to his own drum and is capable of standing up to quite a lot, including what others would consider verbal bullying. But, he has his limits. If something is too girly, such as princess related things and/or MLP, he would choose not to take it to school. And, while there may be a group called "bronies", few know about it and it's not going to change how kids treat boys who carry MLP gear to school.

It's not right, but if this boy is going to choose to carry MLP and his parents are going to allow it, they need to teach him how to handle the bullying. He's going to need to know how to identify it, how to report it, how to avoid it, etc. And, he's going to have to develop the ability to actually follow through with reporting it.

We just had that thread about a boy whose father didn't want him to have a My Little Pony birthday cake.

Now comes this: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/21/grayson-bruce-school_n_5008131.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

"Grayson Bruce, the 9-year-old boy who gained national attention after being told he couldn’t wear his My Little Pony backpack to school, received good news this week.

According to a statement posted on the Buncombe County (North Carolina) School District’s Facebook page, the decision to ban the student’s backpack has been reversed."

Article goes on to say that the district was concerned because the backpack is a "trigger for bullying."

So, here is where I am getting lost: Why would a boy be bullied for wearing a My Little Pony backpack? Tons of boys like My Little Pony, and there are entire groups of men who are into it called "bronies." I'm really, really confused why this was an issue at all?