The mother is suing Missouri school for placing Dr. Pepper’s can in the shape of a rifle and posting photos of the work on Snapchat.
“This is merciless. My son will not hurt or threaten a single person,” said Riley Grunden, the mother of a student known as WG, in a statement. Released by Goldwater Instituterepresenting the 13-year-old.
“Instead of using common sense, our own school district treated my child like a criminal who arranged empty soda cans in ways they didn’t like,” Grunden added. “What happened to him?” First fix right? ”
Dad sues the school district, claiming that his son was harassed by staff for wearing a “Let’s Go Brandon” shirt
Riley Grunden is suing Missouri schools for halting their 13-year-old son by making a rifle out of Dr. Pepper’s can and posting photos of the work on Snapchat. (Photo: Provided by Goldwater Institute)
WG posted a photo of Dr. Pepper Cans on Snapchat with an audio titled “AK47.” It says, “This is the famous AK47, and the AK47, manufactured by over 50 million people in 10 countries, is the most popular assault rifle in the world.”
After a post made outside the school grounds, WG’s belongings were searched on September 16, 2024, and he was subsequently suspended by the Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III School District for three days. Grunden met with the superintendent and principal on September 17, 2024.
The school is said to have made a permanent note on his school record that he had participated in “cyberbullying.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Lanna Tharp, Head of the Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III School District, said, “The district is aware of the recent lawsuits filed. Unfortunately, we can say that we are legally permitted to share them publicly, as the lawsuit involves students.
WG posted a photo of Dr. Pepper Gun on Snapchat. (Photo: Courtesy of the Goldwater Institute)
Goldwater Research Institute He filed a lawsuit On April 10, 2025, Mountain View Birchtree R-III School District and school officials allegedly misinterpreted WG’s post “to justify punishing creative expression protected by the First Amendment.”
The Goldwater Institute claims it for the US supreme court The 2021 Mahanoi Regional School District vs. BL decision has a narrow amount of power to control speeches made off campus.
They also highlight Missouri’s constitutional protections for freedom of speech under Section 8 of Missouri. This emphasizes giving Missouri people the right to “telling what he does in every subject.” post Regarding the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Tharp said, “We had enough information to believe the video had caused fear for at least one student, and of course, student safety and well-being was our number one priority and we responded promptly to address our concerns.”
Maryland mom takes LGBTQ+ curriculum fights to the state Supreme Court
Riley Grunden With Son, WG (Photo: Provided by Goldwater Institute)
This is what we want to let Tharp know that he “want to let him know that he knows rumors circulating on social media about potential threats. Following a thorough investigation, no reliable evidence of danger was found.”
The purpose of the lawsuit is to clear WG records and prevent the school from taking further action against students regarding the photos of Dr. Pepper Cans. It also asks the court to declare the district’s actions unconstitutional.
Click here to get the Fox News app
