Pa. kindergartner suspended for alleged "terroristic threat," attorney says

(CBS) MT. CARMEL, Pa. - A five-year-old Pennsylvania kindergartner allegedly made comments while waiting for the school bus that landed her a lengthy suspension and a "terroristic threat" label, an attorney says, according to CBS Philly.

The girl, 5, who attends school in the Mount Carmel Area School District in Northumberland County, was waiting in line with friends on January 10 when according to her family's attorney, Robin Ficker, she said something to the effect of "I'm gonna shoot you, you can shoot me and we can all play together," CBS Philly reports.

Ficker says an adult overheard the comment, searched the student's backpack and did not find a weapon.

"She was referring to a Hello Kitty bubble gun," Ficker told the station.

According to Ficker, the next day the child was questioned by school administrators without a parent present and then given a letter of suspension for, "making a terroristic threat." He said the letter stated the child was not to be readmitted to school without a psychiatric evaluation.

The evaluation was ultimately obtained and revealed no abnormalities, Ficker says.

Ficker advised the child's family to go to the principal and request the girl's suspension be expunged from her record.  CBS Philly reports the suspension was shortened from 10 days to two days, and the "making a terroristic threat" was changed to "threatening to harm another student."

The mother reportedly has been unable to transfer her daughter to another school because of the incident.