Published: Sunday, Oct. 10, 2004

FITCHBURG, Mass. (AP) &endash; A Fitchburg mother is furious at school officials who suspended her 8-year-old daughter for four days for bringing a syringe-like medical device to school.

Sandy Cortes' daughter, Xiomara Roman, was suspended from South Street Elementary because she took an oral antibiotics applicator used to treat her injured cat, Teddy, to school.

"This is ridiculous. I don't agree with her bringing it to school, of course, but a four-day suspension?" Cortes told the Sentinel and Enterprise of Fitchburg. "I got the call at work, and I almost killed myself driving from Gardner."

School officials suspended the girl after a teacher on Monday noticed her showing the device to a friend at recess. School superintendent Thomas Lamey said a four-day suspension for a third-grader was "not very common at all, but it depends on the student's history."

Cortes said her daughter has never before received a detention or suspension.