The family of a Colorado third grader is furious after he was suspended for sniffing his shirt. School administrators accused 8-year-old Eathen Harris of trying to get high by huffing a stripe of magic marker on his shirt, MyFOXColorado reported.
Harris’ teacher reported him for misbehaving and Harris Park Principal Christopher Benisch handed him a three day suspension.
James Harris, Eathen’s father, insists the punishment is too extreme.
“[The school] automatically assumed that he was huffing a marker,” James Harris told MyFOXColorado. “He is in third grade, he's 8-years-old. And I think that's a ridiculous assumption.”
When James Harris went to the school to argue his son did not know any better, the suspension was reduced from three days to one. He still does not think the school has done enough.
Principal Benisch stands by his decision, telling MyFOXColorado he believes the markers pose a serious safety issue if misused.
He says Eathen Harris’ punishment stems from repeatedly sniffing the marker on his shirt, even after being told to stop.
"We really want to send a clear message to that student and the other students that we're responsible for that,” Benisch told MyFOXColorado. “This is a real true danger.”
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox