A Georgia family says their six-year-old son with autism keeps getting punished at school without the district considering his disability. John Medina, a first grader at a Fayette County elementary school, was suspended last school year after biting his sandwich into the shape of a gun and pointing it at a classmate during lunch. School records show he has been disciplined more than 30 times since 2023, including 14 suspensions, for things like pointing a water bottle while making gun noises and drawing a picture of a turkey being shot.
His mother hired a former special education director to help the family, who said a six-year-old without autism likely would not even understand why the sandwich shape was inappropriate. The district’s superintendent said these situations are difficult and the district is committed to working with families, but did not directly address the sandwich incident. John’s mother says the repeated punishments have made him feel like a bad kid.
Source: Atlanta News
