First-grader Darin Simak is a little shy, a little upset and a little confused about why he can’t go back to Martin Elementary in New Kensington, but he knows it’s the result of him bringing a toy gun to school in his backpack Wednesday.Jennifer Mathabel said her son left his usual backpack in a friend’s car the night before, so he packed another one but missed the toy gun inside.“So I send my child to school. My child discovers a fake toy gun at about 1:30 p.m. He turns it in to the teacher and he's sent to the office and suspended,” said Mathabel.VIDEO: Watch Marcie Cipriani's reportBut she felt her son shouldn’t be suspended, and still sent him to school Thursday morning."I got a phone call from the principal at 9 a.m., and she said, ‘Darin is not to be in school,’ and I said, ‘I'm sending him to school because he is entitled to be in school and be educated,'" said Mathabel.Darin was given an in-school suspension until his father came to pick him up and take him back home.The New Kensington-Arnold School District superintendent said that bringing a toy gun to school violates the district’s policy at the highest level and requires a child to be suspended immediately until a meeting can be held to discuss what happened and whether punishment is warranted.Darin’s parents said they hope the school will reconsider its policy.----------------------------------------------------------------FRIDAY UPDATE: Darin will not be expelled. The school district held a meeting and decided to suspend the first-grader for two days. He'll return to class Monday.

First-grader Darin Simak is a little shy, a little upset and a little confused about why he can’t go back to Martin Elementary in New Kensington, but he knows it’s the result of him bringing a toy gun to school in his backpack Wednesday.

Jennifer Mathabel said her son left his usual backpack in a friend’s car the night before, so he packed another one but missed the toy gun inside.


“So I send my child to school. My child discovers a fake toy gun at about 1:30 p.m. He turns it in to the teacher and he's sent to the office and suspended,” said Mathabel.

VIDEO: Watch Marcie Cipriani's report

But she felt her son shouldn’t be suspended, and still sent him to school Thursday morning.

"I got a phone call from the principal at 9 a.m., and she said, ‘Darin is not to be in school,’ and I said, ‘I'm sending him to school because he is entitled to be in school and be educated,'" said Mathabel.

Darin was given an in-school suspension until his father came to pick him up and take him back home.

The New Kensington-Arnold School District superintendent said that bringing a toy gun to school violates the district’s policy at the highest level and requires a child to be suspended immediately until a meeting can be held to discuss what happened and whether punishment is warranted.

Darin’s parents said they hope the school will reconsider its policy.

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FRIDAY UPDATE:

Darin will not be expelled. The school district held a meeting and decided to suspend the first-grader for two days. He'll return to class Monday.