A nine-year-old Detroit boy found himself in some trouble when he brought cupcakes to school with little green Army men on them, only to have the school principal order the toppings be taken off.
Schall Elementary Principal Susan Wright declared the plastic soldiers to be inappropriate following the Sandy Hook school shootings, and ordered school staff to pull off the toys,
reports a CBS Detroit affiliate.
The principal issued a statement saying her decision was an attempt to maintain a “delicate balance in teaching non-violence in our buildings and trying to ensure a safe, peaceful atmosphere.”
She added that some parents prohibit all toy guns, and that no disrespect was intended for the military, but “our commitment is always to our children and creating a safe place for them to learn, grow and have respectful dialogues about their differences.”
But martial arts instructor Josh Brown, who teaches the boy and his father, said the family meant no harm by the cupcakes.
“He’s a little 9-year-old kid and it was his birthday cupcakes,” Brown said. “These guys (soldiers) are heroes, and too many people are confusing them with psychopaths.”
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.