Weekly Daily Brickbats Archive 2012 April 15-31

In an effort to lobby against laws allowing citizens to openly carry firearms, an Orange County, Florida, sheriff's captain sent out photos of eight individuals he claimed were outlaw bikers who had concealed carry permits. That violated a state law against identifying those with concealed carry permits as well as a law barring the release of driver's license photos. The sheriff's department cleared the captain of any wrongdoing, saying he hadn't realized the photos were driver's license photos or that it was against the law to release information on those with weapons permits.

Students at Jack Robey Junior High School in Arkansas weren't returning to class after lunch fast enough for one school resource officer. So he pepper sprayed the hallway. Three students had to be taken to the hospital.

Chicago State University has banned all communication between faculty and the media without prior approval from the school's public relations office. The policy requires professors to seek approval for interviews, but also opinion pieces, newsletters, and social media communications. Those who violate the policy face disciplinary action, including being fired.

Ryan Blackmon, an eighth-grader at North Carolina's Bladenboro Middle School, says he was very relieved when a teacher broke up an impending fight with another student. He thanked her and tried to hug her. Officials suspended Blackmon for violating a ban on hugging teachers.

Louie Castro received a less than honorable discharge from the U.S. Army back in 2002. What he didn't realize is that the thick file of papers he got from the Army when he left didn't contain a DD-214, an official release from active duty. He found that out almost a decade later when returning from a trip to Europe. When he went through Miami International Airport, computers flagged him as AWOL. He spent 12 days in jail before the Army agreed to release him. But officials still wanted him to fly to Fort Carson in Colorado to officially process him out of the Army. After local media picked up the story, the army decided it didn't need him in Colorado to complete the paperwork.