What happens when a flamboyant student fights back against his attackers with a mom-supplied stun gun?

All:  This is at Arsenal Tech in Indianapolis. Moderator

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“Technically, the young man should not carry a (stun gun) onto school property,” she said. “No parent should ever think it’s OK to give their child a weapon to take to school.”

But, she said, “the school has an obligation to keep these kids safe, especially when the potential for harm is pointed out to them. . . . If this child was going to school and felt that he had to carry a weapon with him to be safe, then no, I don’t think the school was handling it well.”

She said she doesn’t think Young should be expelled because that would create more problems in his life. He should be allowed to go back to school and finish his education because he was a good student and wanted to learn.

She said the incident doesn’t warrant criminal charges, either.

“I think he actually demonstrated pretty good judgment in holding (the stun gun) up in the air and not having it anywhere close to anybody,” she said.

Hank Nuwer, the bullying expert, agreed that the situation is complicated.

“You see the parent’s point of view: ‘What am I going to do? Hire a bodyguard?’ ” he said.

But he said parents who arm their children are “asking for an eventuality.”

“As much as I feel sympathy for (Young), . . . you have to leave it in the hands of law enforcement,” Nuwer said.

He said he thinks the school should expel Young.

“It breaks your heart,” Nuwer said, “but I don’t see that they have a choice.”

The students who threatened Young might not face any punishment.

Young and other witnesses were not able to identify the students who surrounded him, and the school’s investigation hasn’t yielded any leads, Yarrell said.