A 13-year-old boy who drew a stick figure holding a gun and another holding two knives was suspended from his North Carolina middle school.

The boy’s father, James Herring, said he can’t believe his son received a two-day suspension earlier this month for what he calls a harmless picture.

“[He’s] just expressing himself, nothing violent,” Herring told WRAL. “I drew pictures like this…any other person of his age drew pictures like this. It’s nothing to get expelled from school for.”

Herring said their family enjoys hunting, adding that the guns in his home are kept under lock and key.

Though the seventh-grader has returned to Roseboro-Salemburg Middle School, his father is wondering what type of message the school system is trying to send by suspending his son.

“Due to everything happening in the nation, we’re just being extra vigilant about all issues of safety,” said Sampson County Schools’ Superintendent Eric Bracy.

The superintendent didn’t share any details about the boy’s suspension, but told WRAL that punishments for a variety of offenses are outlined in the student handbook.