3 ES Middle School students disciplined after one claims to have gun in class

Three Eureka Springs Middle School students were disciplined by the district after one said they had a gun in class Wednesday morning, March 11.

According to superintendent Bryan Pruitt, a student brought a “metal rubber band gun,” to campus.

“There’s three of them, a total of three kids,” Pruitt said. “One brought it, one was trading it around, and then the other one ended up with it and said: ‘I’ve got a gun here with me.’” Each of the students received the same discipline based on district policy, Pruitt said.

“We followed district policy on that and the discipline was, we did follow district policies and the punishment was assessed accordingly,” Pruitt said.

According to a post on the district’s Facebook page March 11, a teacher reported that a student made a statement about having a gun.

“Staff immediately followed safety procedures and contacted ESPD,” the post reads. “No weapon was found and there is no threat to students or staff; the student had a small metal rubber band toy.

“The situation is being addressed and the student will be dealt with accordingly. We are sharing this for transparency in case you hear about it from your child. Student safety remains our top priority.”

Pruitt said police responded and looked into the situation, but did not take any action on the incident, which was taken seriously by district staff.

“You take it as a threat because it is, you know, you do have something that’s perceived as a gun when you’ve made a threat,” the superintendent said. “… In this day and age you can’t joke around with those things or play around, and I think maybe we all need to do a better job with our students, explaining to them when you bring something that’s perceived as a weapon, it’s going to be treated as a weapon and a threat.”

Pruitt said the rubber band gun was “more sophisticated” than rubber band guns of past decades.

“They look like a gun,” he said, adding the device shoots rubber bands about the size of ones “used on braces.”

“I’m sure it would put an eye out,” Pruitt said of what might happen if someone was hit by one of the bands.

It’s important for students and parents to understand the seriousness of the situation, despite the item being a toy, Pruitt said.

“In this day and age there’s not much room for grace,” he said. “You’ve got to follow the policy… “Safety is the top priority and we take it very seriously.”