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>>ANCHOR: Parents of a deaf three year old boy in Nebraska say school officials want
to change the way he signs his name. The story has made national headlines and was featured
on the "Today Show" Thursday. The question is whether signing the boy's name constitutes
an inappropriate gesture. It's certainly being discussed in Rochester's
large deaf community. Professors at RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf
say their shocked by all of this. Joangel Conception joins us now with their reaction.
Joangel? >>REPORTER: Well Rich and Janet, imagine if
a school demanded the way you say your name. That's what a family is claiming happened
in Nebraska, except their child is deaf. And the only way that 3-year-old Hunter knows
how to communicate is, of course, through sign language. And the only way that he and
his family know who to sign his name Hunter is by crossing his fingers on both hands and
moving his hands up and down like this. These parents were shocked by the school's request
to change his name and they weren't the only ones. We spoke to several members of the Rochester
deaf community and some of the interviews you are about to see were conducted with the
help of an RIT translator. >>LEISA BOWLING: It doesn't look like a weapon
sign. It's a name sign. Leisa Bowling and Sam Holcomb teach American
Sign Language at RIT. Both are hard of hearing and both were shocked by recent headlines.
>>SAM HOLCOMB: That sign it doesn't look like anything. It doesn't relate to a weapon. It's
not like I'm taking a gun and shooting at you and making a sound like that.
>>REPORTER: This three-year-old little boy lives in Nebraska. His name is Hunter and
he is also deaf. His parents say school administrators are demanding a change to the way he signs
his name. They claim the school says it resembles a gun. Local ASL teachers say it is all about
understanding the deaf culture. >>LISA BOWLING: The sign gun. That's the noun
sign gun. If I\'m talking about pointing at you and shooting that's the verb.
>>REPORTER: But these professors say Hunter's gesture is not a noun or a verb. It's just
like any other nickname. >>LISA BOWLING: I understand why the school
has its concerns. They see the sign and it maybe looks like a weapon to them but it\'s
really not. >>SAM HOLCOMB: Hunter, that name is a sweet
name. It matches his personality. >>REPORTER: The professors say we can all
learn a thing or two about this incident especially that sign language isn't just a gesture. It
involves eye contact and vocals and just like words depends how much of a threat is on the
gesture itself. In this case, coming from a 3-year-old boy, these professors say not
so much. >>SAM HOLCOLM: Children are very innocent.
You don\'t have to make it threatening to them. You have to be careful.
>>REPORTER: And a special thank you to the interpreter who helped me translate those
interviews at RIT today. The Grand Public Island School District in Nebraska issues
a written statement saying, "It has not changed the sign language name of any student nor
is it requiring any student to change." So I guess we're going to have to see what they
decide. >>ANCHOR: Sad state of affairs if this is
what this has come to in this country. Joangel Conception with our report.