When Park Elementary second grader Josh Welch was suspended for biting his Pop-Tart into the shape of a handgun and waving it around back in March, “zero tolerance” began to look more than a little absurd. And now Baltimore city schools have revised their own zero-tolerance weapons policy to remove the automatic suspension for the possession of items such as toy guns, water pistols, and butter knives.

Even in cases that involve more serious weapons-that-are-not-firearms, principals are now required to try other avenues before suspension, such as a conference with parents. But school officials note that these alternative interventions do not preclude the use of suspension, even in the case of a first offense, if the principal deems it appropriate.