"Don't take your guns to town, son"

     Would you change your name if some asked you to? This is a question that three and half year old Hunter Spanjer of Grand Island, Nebraska and his family have to ask themselves after a recent request from his preschool.

     The preschool has a strict weapons policy that forbids anything that even remotely resembles a gun on school grounds. Hunter, who is deaf, signs his name in a way that makes his fingers resemble a gun. According to the parents, they were told that Hunter would not be able to the continue using the S.E.E. (Signing Exact English) symbol for his name due to the fact that it resembles a gun. Hoping to allow their son to keep using the sign for his name and looking for help, the parents went to Facebook and started a page called "Let this Deaf Child Keep His Name Sign", which recieved over 5300 likes in the first few days. However, it seems the schools weapon policy may not be the only reason the school may want to change how Hunter signs his name.

     According to a statement released by the school board, they have no problem with Hunter using the S.E.E. sign for his name, however they want him to learn A.S.L (American Sign Language) for use in school. "Grand Island Public Schools has not changed the sign language name of any student, nor is it requiring any student to change how his or her name is signed," district spokesman Jack Sheard said in a prepared statement. "The school district teaches American Sign Language ("ASL") for students with hearing impairments. ASL is recommended by the Nebraska Department of Education and is widely used in the United States. The sign language techniques taught in the school district are consistent with the standards of the Nebraska Department of Education and ASL."

     Hunter's parents are hoping that the school will provide him with a S.E.E. interpreter along with teaching him A.S.L., but, as of writing, nothing final has been determined.



1. http://boingboing.net/2012/08/28/school-demands-that-boy-must-c.html
2. http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/Grand-Island-Preschooler-Forbidden-Sign-Language-for-His-Own-Name-167394325.html
3. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/28/13531342-deaf-childs-sign-language-name-looks-too-much-like-gun-parent-says-school-told-him?lite
4. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/school-asks-deaf-preschooler-change-sign-language-name-191629255.html