Policy - a substitute for thinking

"What's your name?" "Hunter Spanjer". OK.
"What's your name?" Deaf child signs "Hunter Spanjer". "You're violating our weapons policy!"

Seems that Grand Island Public Schools (Nebraska) may want to rethink their policies.

"We are working with the parents to come to the best solution we can for the child," said Jack Sheard, Grand Island Public Schools spokesperson.

How about you fire everyone in GIPS who had the power to let this go, but declined to do so? What possible purpose does this case serve, other than to perpetuate the image of the American public school system as captured by procedure and in thrall to policy instead of serving parents and pupils?

Full text of policy 8470 here:

Students are forbidden to knowingly and voluntarily possess, handle, transmit or use any instrument in school, on school grounds or at school functions that is a firearm, weapon, or looks like a weapon

So a child's hand, forming a gun-like shape, "looks like a weapon?" Flippin' heck.