An Indianapolis high school student has been expelled after firing a stun gun in the air as a warning to anti-gay bullies.
Darnell "Dynasty" Young, 17, told CNN that he was bullied at Arsenal Technical High School so badly that he feared for his safety. His mother Chelisa Grimes said she sent her son to school with the stun gun because she felt school officials had failed to protect him.
According to multiple reports, no one was injured when Young fired the stun gun into the air last month in an attempt to scare away a group of six bullies that had surrounded him.
A statement from Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) defended the school's decision to expel Young.
"While the district does not condone bullying, it also does not allow weapons to be brought on our school campuses for any reason," the statement said. "Students who violate this rule will be held accountable."
According to that statement, IPS does offer anti-bullying programs to students in grades K-12, and Arsenal has a gay-straight alliance.
"The district does not condone bullyingstudents who violate the rights of others through bullying behaviors are held accountable," IPS said.
Young has been expelled for the remainder of the school year and next semester. He will not be allowed to return to school until Jan. 7, 2013, IPS said.