Student expelled from $28K California institution after using 'inappropriate’ emoji

A California institution has found itself attempting to defend its position after it reportedly expelled a student for allegedly sending emails with an "inappropriate emoji." According to the lawsuit, the parents of a 10-year-old are suing the school after he was kicked out for sending an email with a squirt gun emoji and lyrics to YNW Melly’s song "Murder on My Mind."

The lawsuit against Curtis School, which allegedly cost $28,000 to attend— states that the boy and his friend reportedly exchanged several emails quoting the song in September. On September 25th, it was documented that the boy sent his pal an email saying "I hate you" along with several squirt gun emojis. “You dead yet,” the boy quipped in a second email to which the other boy responded: "No why."

According to the lawsuit, The boys were monitored acting normally during the school's annual fair at the Santa Monica Pier. However, on September 30, the school's director of third, fourth, and fifth grades allegedly yanked the boy out of his class and asked him about the emails. The director allegedly told the boy that she would be taking his technology privileges away as a form of punishment, reports Law and Crime .

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However, when the boy arrived for school the next day, the school's head, Meera Ratnesar, sat down with the family and informed them that the school had decided to expel the student. According to the family's lawyers, the emails do not seem to violate any guidelines set forward by the school.

“The emails between the two friends do not appear to violate any student conduct rule and the squirt gun emoji is available on the Curtis School’s IT system that is used by the students,” said attorneys Mark M, Hathaway and Jenna E. Parker in the suit. “On information and belief, Respondent Ratnesar did not impose any similar discipline on Petitioner’s friend, nor was his friend barred from campus nor expelled. Respondents’ final decision to expel Petitioner and bar him from campus is arbitrary and capricious.”

Earlier this month, one of the boy's parents wrote to the school saying that the punishment was “unreasonable,” since the content of the emails came from a song and that the boy had good grades and had never been in trouble before. “We are deeply disappointed by your decision to base expulsion on emails between two classmates who both showed a willingness to talk about guns based on a song’s lyrics," the email read.

"We think your decision fails to account for the context in which these communications occurred. Our son has never been accused of threatening others at the school,” the email continued. Ratnesar reportedly replied to the email stating that the use of the squirt gun emoji was “threatening” and that it was “a serious infraction we cannot ignore.” Ratnesar held firm on her decision and told the parents that she would assist in helping the boy find a new school.

Upon learning of the lawsuit, the school sent out a statement to several media outlets. “While we were disappointed to learn about the litigation, our priority is to ensure a safe and secure campus for all of our students,” the statement said. “We are unable to comment on individual students.”