iPhone app iPad app Android phone app Android tablet app More

Darnell 'Dynasty' Young, Gay Student Who Fired Stun Gun At School, Expelled (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post  |  By Posted: 05/08/2012 5:21 pm Updated: 05/09/2012 4:21 pm

Darnell Dynasty Young

Darnell “Dynasty” Young, the 17-year-old openly gay student who was suspended for bringing a stun gun to school to ward off bullies, has now been expelled, MSNBC reports.

In a statement obtained by the network, Indianapolis Public Schools said Young will not be able to re-enroll in the district until January 7, 2013.

The incident in question occurred on April 16, when six students allegedly surrounded Young, called him names and threatened to beat him up. Young then pulled the weapon from his bag and fired it in the air. Minutes after, he was handcuffed.

In an appearance on CNN yesterday, Young's mother, Chelisa Grimes, told the network she believes she did the right thing by giving her son the weapon.

"I do not promote violence -- not at all -- but what is a parent to do when she has done everything that she felt she was supposed to do," Grimes told CNN. "I did feel like there was nothing else left for me to do, but protect my child."

Executive Director of the Gay-Straight Alliance Network Carolyn Laub told MSNBC she believes the district made the wrong call.

“Dynasty, like many other lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender young people, was pushed out of school by an administration that failed to keep him safe and by school discipline policies that remove students instead of resolve the problem,” Laub said in an e-mail statement obtained by the network. “When schools use a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to school discipline, they unfortunately reinforce an environment of fear and punishment and fail to create a climate of inclusion, safety, and respect for all students.”

Quick Poll

Should he have been expelled?

VOTE

FOLLOW EDUCATION

Darnell “Dynasty” Young, the 17-year-old openly gay student who was suspended for bringing a stun gun to school to ward off bullies, has now been expelled, MSNBC reports. In a statement obtain...
Darnell “Dynasty” Young, the 17-year-old openly gay student who was suspended for bringing a stun gun to school to ward off bullies, has now been expelled, MSNBC reports. In a statement obtain...
 
 
  • Comments
  • 292
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Post Comment Preview Comment
To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Next ›  Last »  (6 total)
02:54 PM on 09/02/2012
lol @ the poll, precisely why I won't trust my future children in the public school system ran by the idiotic liberals who at one end want to restrict the second amendment, but on the other hand think it is alright for minors in a school environment to have weapons.
12:42 PM on 05/15/2012
LBTQ lobby demands *unless you LBTQ* change to school zero- tolerance- for-weapons policy.
11:19 AM on 05/15/2012
Kudos to administration for not kowtowing to special interests.
Discharging a weapon on school campus.should automatically result in expulsion.
Always.
photo
candlesmp
life is as good as you make it
12:36 AM on 05/15/2012
what I want to know is: what kind of repercussions are the bullies facing???

If the administrators had been doing their job - this incident would have and should have never happened. What kind of message is this sending to the victims of bullying? Stand up for yourself and face the consequences while your victimizers go free? Like that's right...that's the perfect message you want to send victims of bullying - NOT...

They made the wrong decision expelling the boy.
11:20 AM on 05/15/2012
"What kind of message is this sending to the victims of bullying?"

um... don't bring a weapon to school campus or you will be expelled.
photo
candlesmp
life is as good as you make it
11:53 AM on 05/15/2012
that's only one of the messages.

But the overall message is "bullies can beat people up with their fists and they get away with it. School administrators avert their eyes in instances of bullying".
02:57 PM on 05/15/2012
The administration has been doing their job. The student and witnesses have not identified alleged bullies. A big part of the reason for this is that they don't want to be portrayed as "snitches." The administration cannot be faulted for not reprimanding bullies if they don't know who they are.
photo
lcr999
scientist
09:11 PM on 05/14/2012
Sic the bullies on the school administrators and see what they do
photo
lcr999
scientist
09:09 PM on 05/14/2012
The question is, "how long were the bullies expelled for.?"
photo
lcr999
scientist
09:08 PM on 05/14/2012
OK, enough of this shooting into the air stuff. If you pull a gun, use it.
08:59 PM on 05/14/2012
The boy had a choice; shoot the stun gun at them, or shoot it in the air. I believe he made a good decision one that shouldn't require expulsion. Unlike his attackers he chose not to harm anyone. I also can sympathize with the administration because as soon as you allow it to be okay to bring a stun gun to school others will do it also, probably the bullies more than anyone.

Neither side can be blamed and it sucks the boy has to face this severe a punishment, but I guess this is what you can always expect from zero tolerance stances.
photo
candlesmp
life is as good as you make it
12:39 AM on 05/15/2012
what about zero tolerance for bullying? Sure bringing a weapon to the school is a big no-no, but the bullies not facing any repercussions for their actions is even worse. The administration should be expelling them too.
08:19 PM on 05/15/2012
Each situation should be considered individually even bullying.  What one sees isn't always what is happening.  An argument could be seen as bullying or what if a child that was being bullied, like in this case, turns it around and bullies the bully but he is the only one caught.  Zero tolerance wouldn't allow his side to be told or be considered.  
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gr8bsn
An equal opportunity offender since 1978
10:02 AM on 05/12/2012
"Lay down and be a victim." - The motto of 21st century America. Getting bullied 10 to 1 at school? Lay down and be a victim. Fight back and we'll expel you. Robbed at work? Don't defend yourself, lay down and be a victim.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
happyblackman
Gotta have more cowbell baby!
11:38 AM on 05/11/2012
The school district had no choice. Zero-tolerance laws does that. He did not shoot anyone with the stun gun, but bringing it to school was wrong.
Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
05:33 PM on 05/10/2012
This young man should not have been expelled from his school, full stop! The school has a duty of care in the US, (common law based legal system), but clearly the school failed in its duty of care.

My heart goes out to his mother, I only hope they get all the care and assistance at this dreadful time. Bullies should not be tollerated anywhere! The reason for this is illustrated all too often!
05:02 PM on 05/10/2012
Mom needs to sue them!
Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
05:28 PM on 05/10/2012
You are absolutely correct to say this Fiona123! I feel very sorry for this family, the bullies are the ones who should be expelled, full stop!
07:32 PM on 05/10/2012
mom needs to be in jail for giving a kid a weapon to take to school.
Southern law girl
Researching my viewpoint....
07:02 AM on 05/11/2012
I do think she was irresponsible doing this, I do not condone children having weapons in school! However, something has to be done to stamp out bullying, end of story, but if this highlights the problem so be it. It must have been very difficult for the mother knowing her beloved son was victim of bullying, for whatever reason, bullying should not and cannot be accepted in any form in a civilised society. Bullies are cowards, and they are usually cry babies who end up boo hooing to mother when the boot is on the other foot.

Only recently we heard about a young teenage girl taking her own life due to bullying, her parents knew it was happening, but were helpless, and look how that ended up.

Various motivations come to mind here within the remit of discrimination, which I am sure you will already know is against the law.

I only hope this young man can stop, think, and work out a plan of action needed to get his life back on track, and focus on a career plan of action. If there is any message that can be sent to him it should be this:

We wish you all the very best for the future, we are thinking of you!
04:09 PM on 05/10/2012
If people are surrounding you and threatening bodily harm then it is only right for someone to defend themselves...my issue with this story is why on earth did he have a stun gun in his backpack at school?!
04:38 PM on 05/10/2012
Because his mother give it to him for protection.
10:08 AM on 05/11/2012
he is old enough to know better than to use it against other people, whether contact was made or not
03:50 PM on 05/10/2012
In society, if a person feels threatened, they have the right to protect themselves - but not at school. Schools are doing a TERRIBLE job of nipping bullying in the bud. This should be treated extremely severe - no bullying should be allowed AT ALL. Those who engage in such acts should be severely repremanded ONCE and kicked out after the SECOND offense. We cannot allow this type of behavior to continue. There are many children who suffer in this environment, and anyone who condones it is equally guilty as an accomplice to the crime.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Squiriferous
Annoying everybody on Huffington Post since 2011
03:08 PM on 05/10/2012
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, your honor. In the charge of attempted murder, we find the defendant NOT GUILTY. In the charge of aggravated menacing, we find the defendant NOT GUILTY."