Texas school suspends 9-year-old for making 'terroristic threats' with magic 'Hobbit' ring

A fourth grader in Kermit, Texas was suspended for making "terroristic threats" after allegedly telling a classmate that he had a "magic ring" that could make the boy disappear, the Odessa Americanreports.

According to Kermit Elementary School officials, 9-year-old Aiden Steward told a classmate that he possessed a magic ring forged in Mount Doom -- a fictional location from J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series.

Aiden's father, Jason, toldThe Daily News that his family had just watched The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies earlier that week, and that his son "didn't mean anything" when he told his classmate he was in possession of the "one ring to rule them all."

“Kids act out movies that they see. When I watched Superman as a kid, I went outside and tried to fly,” he said.

“I assure you my son lacks the magical powers necessary to threaten his friend’s existence,” he added. "If he did, I'm sure he'd bring him right back."

Kermit Elementary Principal Roxanne Greer told the Odessa American that she could not comment on the suspension, because "all student stuff is confidential," but Steward said that she told him that any and all threats to a child's safety -- including magical ones -- would be taken seriously by the school.

He also said that he requested, in writing, a detailed explanation as to how his son's statements constituted a "terroristic threat," and that he was told by a representative of the Kermit Independent School District that the school would mail him a letter.