5-year-old suspended for playing with stick that resembled gun

HOKE COUNTY, N.C. — A mother is angry after her 5-year-old daughter was suspended from school for playing with a stick that was shaped like a gun.

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Caitlin Miller, 5, was suspended from her Hoke County, North Carolina, school for playing one of her favorite games with her two best friends.

"Chloe was the queen, and Jacqueline was the princess. I was the guard," Caitlin told WTVD.

Caitlin found a stick on the playground that resembled a gun and pretended to shoot an intruder.

Caitlin was suspended for one day after Hoke County Schools said she posed a threat to other students.

“Hoke County Schools will not tolerate assaults, threats or harassment from any student. Any student engaging in such behavior will be removed from the classroom or school environment for as long as is necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning,” the school system said.

Caitlin’s mother, Brandy Miller, was upset and said it was difficult to explain the reason for the suspension to her daughter.

“We know why it’s bad. We watch the news, but then I have to tell my kid, ‘You’re not allowed to play like that in school because people do bad things to kids your age,’” Miller told WTVD.

Hoke Country Schools stands by its decision.

By Wednesday afternoon, nearly 500 people had voted in a WTVD poll, saying Caitlin's suspension wasn't necessary. Five percent of voters said a 5-year-old girl should be suspended for playing with 'stick gun.'

Miller said she wants the school to apologize to her daughter.

See more at WTVD.

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