Sacramento Area Local News

May 18, 2010 4:37 pm US/Pacific

First-Grader Suspended Over Yearbook Comment

Reporting
David Begnaud

YUBA CITY (CBS13)

A first-grader from Yuba City has been suspended from school for a day after scratching out a picture and writing a comment in her own yearbook, and school officials said they are sticking by their decision.

Natalie Day, 7, spent Tuesday home from school after she was suspended for "disruption" -- scratching the picture of a classmate out of her yearbook at writing "because she is rude" next to the classmate's name, according to the suspension form given to her mother.

"She's been a bully to me all year," Natalie said. "I can't do anything for it."

Crystal Ledger, Natalie's mother, said her daughter has been bullied by the classmate all year, but admits that Natalie had once told the girl she would beat her up. Crystal said she even asked for her daughter to be moved to another class.

"To me this whole thing is a little silly," Crystal said. "I told her she did nothing wrong. This is her yearbook. I bought it for her, if she chooses to cut out, like, stick people, that's fine. This is her property."

Yuba City Unified School District superintendent Nancy Aaberg said there are other elements to the situation she cannot release due to privacy rules.

Aaberg said other "relevant information" may not have been on the suspension form but may have been verbally told to Natalie's parents, something Crystal denied.

"I don't want to make too much drama out of it but we have to agree that there's more to the story that I'm not able to share," Aaberg said.

There is no reason not to stand by the principal's decision, Aaberg added. The principal who suspended Natalie declined a request for interview from CBS13.

The classmate in question has also been suspended from school.

Crystal said Natalie will return to school Wednesday.