A 12-year-old boy visiting the Detroit Institute of Arts with his school stuck a wad of gum to a $1.5 million abstract painting "The Bay" by Helen Frankenthaler.
Holly Academy director Julie Kildee said the boy had been suspended from the charter school and says his parents also have disciplined him.
"Even though we give very strict guidelines on proper behavior and we hold students to high standards, he is only 12 and I don't think he understood the ramifications of what he did before it happened, but he certainly understands the severity of it now," said Kildee.
am with you people who think this child is a brat. Of course he knew he should have not done this, he was a show-off, thinking he was funny or that he was very daring, wanting the girls or other boys to think he did something that would make him popular. I remember when kids did these things, and they usually wanted attention. Negative attention, to some is worth it, at least they think it is attention. Some kids are just mean, and they like to do mean things for some kind of thrill that they did it and got by with it. They need tough discipline or they could be in trouble. Some kids get better, and some kids refuse to learn from the lesson. It is sad. It is not all the parents fault. Some children just choose to act badly, they have a choice and they make the wrong ones. They sometimes do not have the proper guidence, but not always M.D. Hare
Britt, I agree with you! I too recall being 12 yrs. old. 12 yr. old kids know better than that. That kid is just a brat and should be taught a lesson. At age 4 I was aware that if I destroyed anything there would be consequences. The rest of you, it doesn't matter how much the painting is, it does not belong to him! I believe the point here is that the boy's parents were just not responsible enough to teach that kid any better. The parents should pay to have that painting restored. Before some of you hit the reply button, YES, I DO HAVE KIDS myeself. I hold them accuntable for each and every one of their actions and their education. I may not be the smartest person out there, but my kids have known how to read, write, multipy, subract and behave even before entering kindergarten. Let me know if I left anything out, I'm sure that I did.
Too bad that i am too old for this kind of fun now... Hey, they should turn the painting into a social artwork: everybody is an artist, but bring your own gum.
12 yr. old kids know better than that. That kid is just a brat and should be taught a lesson. At age 4 I was aware that if I destroyed anything there would be consequences. The rest of you, it doesn't matter how much the painting is, it does not belong to him! I believe the point here is that the boy's parents were just not responsible enough to teach that kid any better. The parents should pay to have that painting restored. Before some of you hit the reply button, YES, I DO HAVE KIDS myeself. I hold them accuntable for each and every one of their actions and their education. I may not be the smartest person out there, but my kids have known how to read, write, multipy, subract and behave even before entering kindergarten. Let me know if I left anything out, I'm sure that I did.