Deaf boy Hunter Spanjer, 3, asked to change sign language name (VIDEO)
A screen grab of the Facebook page “Let This Deaf Child Keep His Sign Language Name,” created by 3-year-old Tyler Spanjer’s family.
A deaf preschooler in Nebraska was asked to change the way he signs his name after he was told the sign looked like a gun.
The parents of 3-year-old Hunter Spanjer claim the school district in Grand Island, Neb., told them their son's sign language name violated its "weapons in school" policy and asked them to modify it, Grand Island TV station KGIN reported.
Hunter's family was shocked. And upset.
I feel like it was an overreach on their part and I expected a lot better from the local school district," Hunter's father, Brian Spanjer, told The Huffington Post.
The Nebraska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sent the district a letter asking officials to reconsider their stance, according to the Facebook page "Let This Deaf Child Keep His Sign Language Name" set up by Hunter's family.
The page already has more than 10,000 likes.
Grand Island Public Schools has since relented after initially refusing to discuss the case.
Late Tuesday, officials issued a statement saying they will not require any hearing impaired students to change their sign language name.