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HOKE COUNTY, N.C. — A North Carolina mom is outraged after her 5-year-old daughter was suspended from school for playing with a stick that resembled a gun, WTVD reported.

Caitlin Miller received a one-day suspension Monday.

It started Friday when her mother got a call from the principal about a playground incident. Caitlin explained to WTVF that she and her two friends were using their imaginations, playing “King and Queen.”

 In this case, Caitlin was the guard protecting the royals and picked up the gun to imitate shooting an intruder into the kingdom.

Hoke County Schools told WTVD Caitlin posed a threat to other students when she made a shooting motion, thus violating policy 4331.

“Hoke County Schools will not tolerate assaults, threats or harassment from any student. Any student engaging in such behavior will be removed from the classroom or school environment for as long as is necessary to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning,” the school system said.

While Caitlin’s mother says she understands the school’s policy on the matter, explaining it to her 5-year-old was a different story.

“We know why it’s bad. We watch the news, but then I have to tell my kid you’re not allowed to play like that in school because people do bad things to kids your age,” Brandy Miller said.

Miller says her daughter was alienated by her friends and teachers as a result of the suspension, and she hopes that the school will issue some sort of apology.