Mom Says School Went Too Far Punishing Child For 'Paper Gun'

Mom Says School Went Too Far Punishing Child For 'Paper Gun'

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Melody Valentin claims she was scolded and searched when she took out a paper gun at school. Melody Valentin claims she was scolded and searched when she took out a paper gun at school.
PHILADELPHIA -

A mom believes a South Philadelphia elementary school went too far when she says administrators punished her little girl for pulling out a paper gun in class.

Melody Valentin says she pulled out a paper gun last week and says a school administrator scolded her in front of the entire class.

Her mom, Dianna Kelly, tells FOX 29's Dave Kinchen that school staff even searched her, with other kids watching the whole time.

The paper gun, according to her mom, looks something like a sheet of paper folded over. Her mom says it was made by the girl's grandfather the day before.

Valentin says she went to throw it away, but a boy saw it and called the administrators.

"He yelled at me and said I shouldn't have brought the gun to school and I kept telling him it was a paper gun but he wouldn't listen," Valentin said.

Calls made by FOX 29 to school administrators were not returned. As a result, FOX 29's Dave Kinchen went to the School District of Philadelphia for some answers. The district told FOX 29 that it wasn't able to reach officials at the school to research the matter. FOX 29 will continue to reach out to the school district for comment.

In the meantime, Kelly says she doesn't want her daughter at the school.

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