Two-Inch LEGO Gun Gets 4th-Grader Patrick Timoney in Trouble; Where's the NRA?

By: Carlin DeGuerin Miller
Topics: Daily Blotter

(WCBS)

STATEN ISLAND, NY (CBS) Patrick Timoney brought a gun to school Tuesday and nearly got suspended for it. Sounds reasonable until you see the gun – a two-inch LEGO toy gun.

Photo: LEGO toy that almost got Patrick Timoney suspended.

9-year-old Patrick, a fourth grader at PS 52 in Staten Island, N.Y., says he brought some of his LEGOs to school to show his friends during lunch but when the principal saw that one of those toys was a gun she pulled him out of class and called his parents.

A spokesman for the city's Department of Education says that the principal, Evelyn Matroianni, was just following the "no tolerance" policy of not allowing any weapons on campus.

Timoney's mother, Laura Timoney, thinks the school overreacted.

"This isn't a safety issue," she said. "This is a judgment issue. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? It could poke you in the eye?"

Laura Timoney said Patrick was in tears when she got to the school and even asked to stay home from school Wednesday because he was afraid the principal was mad at him.

The toy gun goes with a policeman figure and is his favorite because his father, Pat Timoney, is a retired police officer.

40 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 40 Comments


by papadrugio February 10, 2011 1:12 PM EST: What is wrong with American indeed. How the hell is a principal NOT suspending a kid even a news story.

Oh. Mommy wanted attention.

Zero tolerance laws are stupid, but the administrators have to follow it because of Columbine. It sounds to me like this principal was just covering her butt. While I don't think she should have even gone that far, the fact remains that all she did was call the child's parents.

Yeah, it sucks the kid's feelings got hurt and he cried over it, but it's part of growing up.; Reply to this comment


by extremophil February 5, 2010 12:21 PM EST: That school is gonna be sorry when Lego Terrorists attack the place and nobody has a gun to fight back.; Reply to this comment


by thejoker12 February 5, 2010 9:18 AM EST: Many things in a grade school can be used as a weapon. Pencils, stapler and cuting board for instance. Even a jump rope or basketball can hurt someone. What damage can this toy bring that is more dangerous than those? Other dangerous tools are WORDS. What did the principal say to that child that made him fear her? What did she say make him think she was angry at him. This child feels ashamed because a person of athority is afraid of a 2 inch plastic toy.; Reply to this comment


by djseavy February 5, 2010 4:04 AM EST: A little LEGO statue with a tooth-pick sized gun made her feel uneasy. She's a candidate for Prozac; obviously she has mental health issues to begin with.; Reply to this comment


by linfinster February 4, 2010 11:19 PM EST: How disgusting! She should be reprimanded and force to give a presentation to the school.; Reply to this comment


by AlamoDoc February 4, 2010 10:27 PM EST: This guy sounds like Congress material. Think of what could have happened to the poor child had he brought a Nerf gun to class!; Reply to this comment

by butterflync February 4, 2010 9:46 PM EST

*** you have GOT to be kidding me. WHAT has America come to? It's a friggin' LEGO! Zero tolerance? Obviously the principal is a J*ck *ss with NO brain. This poor kid. All he is learning is that some adults are absolute morons.

Reply to this comment


by Living_the_High_Life February 5, 2010 8:47 AM EST: It wouldn't surprise me if that's what his parents told him when he got home


by bubbajill February 4, 2010 6:22 PM EST: I think they need to retrain the "wackadoodle" principal.; Reply to this comment

by mvpel February 4, 2010 6:15 PM EST

There is an all out war being waged against traditional American culture and values, and this is just one more front in that campaign. It is astonishing to observe how much ground has been lost so far, that we're at the point where a tiny Lego gun is enough to draw punishment.

This reveals that it's not the gun itself that's the problem, but the IDEA of a gun that's the problem for them.

How can a youngster grow up to be a police officer if he is indoctrinated to be repelled by the very tools of the trade?

Americans need to wake up and start fighting back, because we're losing this war against our culture and traditions.

Reply to this comment


by taxchurches February 5, 2010 6:29 PM EST: Yes, the principal was goofy. The Zero Tolerance thing is supposed to be about weapons, not things that look like weapons. Obviously this toy gun wasn't a weapon, by any definition. By that standard, they'd have to take out any encyclopedia that has a picture of a sword or gun or tank in it.

Still, you are turning this into a neo-con hobby horse. Guns are not a "value" they are guns. I am a gun owner myself, but I don't pretend it is an American value to own them. There is NO question that the abundance of guns in America, coupled with indiscriminate ownership laws and enforcement, routinely gets innocent people killed. Not by you or me, ok. But the numbers (30,000 or so civilian deaths a year) are still there. There are apparently people out there who are killing other people with guns.

And a gun is only one, fairly minor tool of the policeman's trade. Shooting people is not a cop's job. You are confusing the issue.


by mljohns00 February 6, 2010 2:04 AM EST: taxchurches,

The majority of gun deaths in the U.S. are suicides. That's a good thing, since it gives people a reliable and painless way to die if they so choose. Traffic deaths, unintentional poisoning, falls, and gun suicide all exceed firearms homicide deaths. If you or your friends aren't criminals and if you don't do bad things to your friends or lovers, the odds of being killed by a gun are negligible.

by mimi5952 February 4, 2010 3:35 PM EST

What kind of idiots are running our schools? I am so glad I home schooled my kids. By the way, both my grown boy and girl, can shoot, protect their home, hunt and kill their food. They can live off the land, raise livestock, grow a vegetable garden, understand engines, electrical, plumbing and could build a straight and plumb building. Both have doctorate degrees and great paying jobs. I taught them to survive anything with their brains and books for knowledge. I also taught them not to listen to idiots school administrators and teachers. They know how to solve problem and are not afraid to do their homework on a problem or issue. They now home school their children. Real knowledge is knowing how and where to go to get the help you need to solve a problem. Why do parent send their kids to these idoit school?

Reply to this comment


by BuddyBeanbags February 5, 2010 10:15 AM EST: God bless you for having the brains and wits to home school your kids properly. My brother's dumb as a bag of rocks wife tried the same thing with their two boys and screwed them both up, especially the oldest one.