A Michigan middle schooler disarmed a classmate who brought a loaded gun to school – but the brave boy was expelled for the entire year.
Sakir Everett, an 11-year-old, took immediate action upon seeing another student with a firearm at Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing.
Instead of running away, this seventh grader courageously ensured safety by disarming the weapon, taking out the bullets, and dismantling it, potentially preventing a tragic event.
However, Sakir was punished by the school for not immediately reporting the incident to staff.
This surprising move by the Lansing School District has caused an uproar among parents and the community, who are upset that Sakir is being treated like a wrongdoer rather than a hero.
“They expelled him for the entire year,” expressed Sakir’s mother, Savitra McClurkin, who has since started a public campaign to advocate for her son’s return to school.
“He’s never been in trouble before. His goal was to protect his fellow students. He didn’t want to get himself involved in the situation, nor did he want to report the person who brought the weapon, as he knows firearms have no place in school,” she shared with WILX.
‘Sakir’s instinct was not to run away – it was to protect his classmates,’ reads a GoFundMe campaign launched to support his family.
Michigan middle schooler Sakir Everett, 11, has been expelled for the entire year after disarming a classmate who brought a loaded gun to school
Sakir’s mother, Savitra McClurkin, has now launched a public campaign demanding her son be reinstated
‘He took the gun from the armed student, disassembled it, and removed the bullets, preventing what could have been an unimaginable tragedy.’
According to his mother, Sakir is a soft-spoken, athletic, A/B student who has never before been in trouble.
He used knowledge from his hunting background to safely disarm the weapon, separate the ammunition, and throw the bullets away.
He believed he was doing the right thing. But instead of an award, Sakir was expelled.
“It’s heartbreaking because he’s a smart kid and just wants to enjoy being a child,” McClurkin added, having to cut back her own work hours to home-school him after his access to school facilities was completely revoked.
‘As a parent, I feel like I may be more devastated than him.’
Sakir is now enrolled in a non-accredited online program only because accredited platforms are reportedly upholding the school district’s decision, refusing to enroll him.
‘Online schools are honoring [the school district’s] decision. Nor did they provide us a different resource or a different avenue to go,’ she said.
Sakir Everett, 11, sprang into action when he spotted another student with a firearm inside Dwight Rich School of the Arts in Lansing
‘They are setting my son up for failure,’ mom McClurkin said. ‘They’re setting him up to being a statistic and I’ve been doing everything in my will and my power to keep him from that.’
Sakir was punished by the school for not immediately reporting the incident to staff
Frustrated and desperate for answers, McClurkin took her fight to the Lansing School Board, pleading in person during a public meeting for her son’s reinstatement.
‘What am I to do?’ she asked the silent board. ‘He’s 11 years old, in seventh grade, never been in trouble before.’
Her appeal was met with silence. Despite her emotional testimony and the support of community members, the board offered no public response, nor did they take any immediate action to review Sakir’s case.
The GoFundMe page paints Sakir as a child who acted with courage under terrifying circumstances.
‘Instead of being recognized as a hero, Sakir is now being treated like a criminal,’ the campaign reads.
‘He has been expelled and barred from all school platforms, despite being an A/B student, a respectful young man, and an athlete who has been playing sports since he was six years old.’
A GoFundMe page paints Sakir as a child who acted with courage under terrifying circumstances
The school district has said it will revisit the question of Sakir’s reinstatement at the end of the academic year but mom, McClurkin, says the decision is simply not good enough
The campaign also highlights the financial toll the situation has taken on the family.
‘Because of this sudden expulsion, Sakir’s mother has had to take on the enormous challenge of educating him at home. This has forced her to cut back on work, creating serious financial strain on their household.’
‘Sakir acted out of bravery and love for his classmates. Let’s show him that same love now,’ it urges.
The Lansing School District has declined to comment publicly on Sakir’s case, citing privacy concerns, but their silence has only intensified criticism from the community, who see the district’s reaction as not only disproportionate but damaging.
‘They are setting my son up for failure,’ McClurkin said. ‘They’re setting him up to being a statistic and I’ve been doing everything in my will and my power to keep him from that.’
The district has reportedly said it will revisit the question of Sakir’s reinstatement at the end of the academic year – a decision McClurkin says is simply not good enough.
‘I’m frustrated. I’m at my wits end. I don’t know what to do,’ McClurkin told reporters.
‘This is a little boy who should be playing sports, making friends, learning math – not being treated like a criminal for doing the right thing.’
