A Santana High School student has been suspended after a teacher found pictures he drew of guns in his backpack. 15-year old Ryan Reynolds was suspended after his ninth grade teacher found a sketch of an AK-47. Reynolds told FOX6 he drew the picture after his father, who is a gun enthusiast, took him to a gun show. He says, “There’s no harm or threat behind this picture.” Another drawing done by Reynolds, showed a stick figure labeled “me” shooting another stick figure labeled “you.” “The pictures weren’t directed at anyone in or near the school,” says Ryan’s father, Jason St. Mars, “They were just drawings.  They could have been cops or robbers, or my son shooting at a terrorist.” A third drawing depicted a person shooting in tandem at another person. Ryan’s father, says there is nothing in the student handbook saying students are not allowed to draw pictures of guns. He says he was outraged by the school’s action. “It was disturbing because I don’t feel like my son should be suspended for expressing himself.  We have freedom of speech in this country.” “Our schools are extremely concerned that we maintain a safe environment at all times,” says Superintendent of Grossmont High School District, Robert Collins.  “A safe environment for students and a safe environment for teachers.  That’s paramount.” Collins says when a student is suspended it should be a wake up call to parents. “I know that everybody looks upon disciplinary actions by a school district as being punitive in nature but my experience has been that it’s an event that can be extremely beneficial to the youngster and their family,” said Collins. Ryan’s parent say they believe the suspension is in retaliation to them calling the school in a prior incident to complain about the teacher. In March of 2001, a 15-year old student at Santana High School shot and killed two students and injured 13 others.

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