- Jan 7, 2002
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8th Grader Arrested Over Internet Cartoon
LOS ANGELES -- An 8th grader in Walnut Creek, Calif., who was arrested for creating an animated cartoon that allegedly referred to killing a teacher, is getting an unexpected vacation from school Thursday -- and both he and his mother say authorities overreacted.
Walnut Creek police handcuffed and arrested the 14-year-old student at Walnut Creek Intermediate School for making a threat with an electronic after the boy posted his cartoon on the Internet last week.
The cartoon allegedly contained the phrase, "Maybe I should kill him and urinate on his remains."
The youngster doesn't deny drafting the offending cartoon, but says it was part of a series he created to poke fun at the school and never intended to be taken seriously.
His mother says officials made a rash decision considering that her son has not been in trouble at school before.
But the president of the Walnut Creek School Board says school officials have to take all threats seriously to protect their staff and students.
The student will remain suspended until at least Monday.
The district attorney's office would not say whether the boy would be charged because he is a minor.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- An 8th grader in Walnut Creek, Calif., who was arrested for creating an animated cartoon that allegedly referred to killing a teacher, is getting an unexpected vacation from school Thursday -- and both he and his mother say authorities overreacted.
Walnut Creek police handcuffed and arrested the 14-year-old student at Walnut Creek Intermediate School for making a threat with an electronic after the boy posted his cartoon on the Internet last week.
The cartoon allegedly contained the phrase, "Maybe I should kill him and urinate on his remains."
The youngster doesn't deny drafting the offending cartoon, but says it was part of a series he created to poke fun at the school and never intended to be taken seriously.
His mother says officials made a rash decision considering that her son has not been in trouble at school before.
But the president of the Walnut Creek School Board says school officials have to take all threats seriously to protect their staff and students.
The student will remain suspended until at least Monday.
The district attorney's office would not say whether the boy would be charged because he is a minor.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press
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