Third Grader Suspended For Smelling Sharpie Marker

WESTMINSTER,CO – A Westminster parent says Adams School District 50 overreacted by suspending a third-grade student for smelling Sharpie marker fumes and the clothing on which he’d drawn a stripe. But Harris Park Elementary School Principal Chris Benisch is defending the decision, saying he believes the markers present a serious safety risk if misused.

Eight-year-old Eathan Harris was suspended for three days after the incident last week. The suspension was cut to one day after James Harris voiced concern about his son’s punishment.

Eathan’s father says officials automatically assumed the boy was “huffing,” or inhaling dangerous fumes from the marker during a writing class. Benisch says Eathan was suspended for repeatedly sniffing the marker after being told to quit.