Missouri mom sues for halting her son’s school via Dr. Pepper Rifle
The mother is suing Missouri school for halting her 13-year-old son after placing Dr. Pepper’s can in the shape of a rifle and posting photos of the work on Snapchat.
“This is merciless. My son will not hurt or threaten a single person,” said Riley Grunden, the mother of a student known as WG, in a statement. Released by Goldwater Instituterepresenting the 13-year-old.
“Instead of using common sense, our own school district treated my child like a criminal who arranged empty soda cans in ways they didn’t like,” Grunden added. “What happened to him?” First fix right? ”
Riley Grunden is suing Missouri schools for halting their 13-year-old son by making a rifle out of Dr. Pepper’s can and posting photos of the work on Snapchat. (Photo: Courtesy Riley Granden and Goldwater Institute)
WG posted a photo of Dr. Pepper Cans on Snapchat with an audio titled “AK47.” It says, “This is the famous AK47, and the AK47, manufactured by over 50 million people in 10 countries, is the most popular assault rifle in the world.”
After a post made outside the school grounds, WG’s belongings were searched on September 16, 2024, and he was subsequently suspended by the Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III School District for three days. Grunden met with the superintendent and principal on September 17, 2024.
The school is said to have made a permanent note on his school record that he had participated in “cyberbullying.”
In a statement Fox News DigitalRanna Tharp, Chief of the Mountain View Birchtree R-III, said, “The district is aware of the recent lawsuits filed. Unfortunately, as the lawsuit involves students, we are significantly limited to legally allow them to share publicly.
WG posted a photo of Dr. Pepper Gun on Snapchat. (Photo: Courtesy Riley Granden and Goldwater Institute)
Goldwater Research Institute He filed a lawsuit On April 10, 2025, Mountain View Birchtree R-III School District and school officials allegedly misinterpreted WG’s post “to justify punishing creative expression protected by the First Amendment.”
The Goldwater Institute claims it for the US supreme court The 2021 Mahanoi Regional School District vs. BL decision has a narrow amount of power to control speeches made off campus.
They also highlight Missouri’s constitutional protections for freedom of speech under Section 8 of Missouri. This emphasizes giving Missouri people the right to “telling what he does in every subject.” post Regarding the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Tharp said, “We had enough information to believe that the video had caused fear for at least one student, and of course, student safety and well-being was our number one priority and we responded promptly to address our concerns.”
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Riley Grunden with his son, WG (Photo: Courtesy Riley Grunden and Goldwater Institute)
This is what we want to let Tharp know that he “want to let him know that he knows rumors circulating on social media about potential threats. Following a thorough investigation, no reliable evidence of danger was found.”
The purpose of the lawsuit is to clear WG records and prevent the school from taking further action against students regarding the photos of Dr. Pepper Cans. It also asks the court to declare the district’s actions unconstitutional.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Dave Roland, litigation director at Missouri’s Freedom Center and co-founder of the Goldwater Institute, said, “We will pursue this case and chase the waves of schools challenging the troubling public waves, punishing the expression of off-campus students and stealing the right authority in robbing them.”
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Through the American Freedom Network of Pro Bono Attorneys Goldwater’s American Freedom Network, Dave Roland, litigation director at Missouri’s Freedom Center and co-founder of Missouri-based Eringer Bell’s partner, Mark Ellinger and Stephanie Bell, represents WG.
“From students who are suspended for posting memes to punishment for fictional, creative writing, schools are increasingly treating regular adolescent communication as the basis for disciplinary action,” added Roland. “The outcomes go far beyond individual cases. Each unfair punishment sends a message to all students that their constitutional rights disappear the moment they log in to social media.”