Boy who drew a lynching made to promise not to kill himself

MONTGOMERY VILLAGE, Md. – A Maryland mother is furious that her 11-year-old son had to miss school and sign a contract promising not to attempt suicide after he drew a picture for a class assignment on censorship.

His drawing depicts a black man hanging from a tree, with two Ku Klux Klansmen nearby and the words “Black Lives Matter.”

Montgomery Village Middle School student Tidiani Epps Jr. tells The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/2dBZVxR) that his point is that racism still exists.

But a teacher interpreted the drawing as an example of self-harm, and a counsellor then recommended a mental health evaluation of the boy.

Epps’ mother, Sade Green, says she’s “livid” that the school suggested her son did something wrong.

School system spokeswoman Gboyinde Onijala says the teacher misunderstood the drawing.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com