Teen girl expelled, charged with felony for science experiment

[knapplc]

Sometimes there just aren't enough facepalms.

 

Teen Girl Expelled, Charged With a Felony After Science Experiment Goes Awry

 

This week, Kiera Wilmot went to school and mixed some household chemicals in a tiny 8-ounce water bottle. It looked like a simple chemistry project but then the top popped off when a small explosion occurred.

 

In another era, Wilmot may have gotten scolded and sent back to class. But in this age of zero-tolerance policies, Wilmot is in deep trouble. She was arrested on Monday morning after the incident and charged with possession and discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device. In turn, she was expelled and will finish her high school years in an expulsion program.

 

Zero-tolerance policies in schools began in 1994 after Congress required states to adopt laws that guaranteed one-year expulsions for students who brought firearms to school. In order for states to receive federal funding, leaders had to adopt these laws. All 50 states did so.

 

“The criminal justice paradigm, under which zero tolerance operates, strips educators of decision-making powers and discretion,” Nolan said. “It forces otherwise caring and thinking adults to respond to incidents in unthinking and often destructive ways.”

 

America. Land of the free.

[BigRedBuster]

This has completely gotten out of hand.

[StPaulHusker]

I guess it's back to ant farms and baking soda volcanos for now. No wonder we lag behind other countries in Science.

[BigRedBuster]

I had a fantastic Chemistry teacher in HS. On the very first day of the school year when all the kids are all amped up to touch base with all their friends, we came into his class not paying attention to anything. He casually walked over to one of the chemistry tables, turned on the water and threw in a chunk of potassium. It exploded so much that it blew a hole in the ceiling tile above the table. IT WAS AWESOME!!!!

 

It got our attention for the rest of the year on how cool chemistry can be.

 

Heck....he would be fired and throw in prison for 10 years for that now.

[QMany]

I was a good student in high school. I wouldn't have been surprised to have been expelled if I went into school at 7AM and just started mixing potentially explosive materials unsupervised.

 

Seems like these things could/should be handled on a case-by-case basis, but that is just setting the school districts up for litigation.

It was a zero tolerance policy. It sucks, but if she is as good of student as being touted, she'll be fine.

 

Just noticed she could face felony charges. That is just silly.

[It'sNotAFakeID]

...yes because she intentionally did it.

 

Zero tolerance policies often create more negatives than positives. We have them because they're easy, but they're also wrong.

[TonyStalloni]

Lack of common sense on the part of a 17 year old is understandable. Lack of common sense by 50 year old admins borders on insanity. Lets take all decision making out of the locals hands and give it all to Big Brother.

[BigRedBuster]

...yes because she intentionally did it.

 

Zero tolerance policies often create more negatives than positives. We have them because they're easy, but they're also wrong.

 

 

We have them because people over react and don't think logically in the aftermath of tragedies. It is the mind set that...."we must do everything in our powers to make sure that doesn't happen here". After all, God forbid if you are against these rules then you just don't care about the victims.

[carlfense]

Zero tolerance policies often create more negatives than positives. We have them because they're easy, but they're also wrong.

+1

[GSG]

I agree with the school's ruling. Women should not be doing science.

 

[ADS]

If this happened in China, she probably would've got an A.

[sd'sker]

some chemistry teachers teach their students how to make meth, yet this girl is the criminal.

[GSG]

some chemistry teachers teach their students how to make meth, yet this girl is the criminal.

 

I thought that was just a tv show?

[QMany]

If this happened in China, she probably would've got an A been thrown in a river a long time ago.

FIFY

[ADS]

If this happened in China, she probably would've got an A been thrown in a river a long time ago.

FIFY

hahahahahahaha