Student suspended for buying Skittles at school

[appleannie1]

Source: CNN

Contraband candy has led to big trouble for an eighth-grade honors student in Connecticut.

Michael Sheridan was stripped of his title as class vice president, barred from attending an honors student dinner and suspended for a day after buying a bag of Skittles from a classmate.

School spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo says the New Haven school system banned candy sales in 2003 as part of a districtwide school wellness policy.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/12/skittles.suspension.ap/index.html

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This whole country has gone nuts. Soon they will monitor what kind of underwear people are wearing.

[gdane]

1. wellness policy? Skittles aren't drugs

Penalized for buying junkfood?

I know there is an obesity epidemic, but this is just too much.

[JerseygirlCT]

3. LOL, see my post below -

read yours after posting and thought it was a funny conjunction of thoughts there!

[pingzing58]

29. And like sheep, parents don't complain to the school board. They need to organize!!!

[JerseygirlCT]

2. Ok, true confession

We call Skittles "kiddy crack" and won't let my small one near them. They make him crazy.

But this is more crazy. Strip him of his offices? PUNISH him for buying candy? Ridiculous!

[Mz Pip]

4. Were there guns in the Skittles?

Geez, talk about micromanaging school disipline. This is really beyond silly.

If there are rulles against selling candy, then all that would be necessary is to confiscate the candy. Turning it into case that draws nationwide attention to your school is just nuts.

[DCKit]

66. Yes, that would be the SMART thing to do...

But don't you feel safer knowing what the fascist nut-jobs are up to and where they stand? I know I do. Additionally, every time they pull stupid shit like this, rational people in their community - and elsewhere - wake up a little and ask "Why are these Nazis being allowed supervise and teach children?"

When we stop hearing about what's going on in the schools, it will only mean that the fascists and NCLB have won.

[mike_c]

5. three strikes and you're out, kid....

Do the crime, do the time. Zero tolerance. Shoulda waterboarded 'im.

Just in case: :sarcasm:

[tanyev]

6. When Skittles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Skittles.

[bumblebee1]

68. I'm an outlaw.

I love Skittles. I even take them to work with me. Better be careful, my supervisor might have me terminated for having Skittles.

[mth44sc]

7. I feel so guilty

This grandpa keeps a bag of skittles at the ready for anytime his granddaughter passes thru the door.

I had no idea I was leading her down the path to ruin. GADS!

[gasperc]

8. finally they are cracking down on this shit

the underground contraband candy market has been thriving for years.

:eyes:

[JeanGrey]

45. After I read how happy people are against homeschooling

and then I read this...............

[aquart]

9. Skittles? They suspended an honor student over a legal product?

I hope that candy company supplies the kid with high-powered lawyers for the civil suit.

I can't abide Skittles, personally. But don't you touch my Jelly Bellies.

[BearSquirrel2]

35. So are Pokemon cards ...

So are Pokemon cards but there are certain things that are appropriate and those that are not. Skittles are a diabetic nightmare and a dentists horror show.

[mainegreen]

10. I'd love to see a policy mandating automatic suspension for administrators for being total idiots.

"Sorry Mr P, you can't come on school grounds. Your last five administrative decisions have indicated you have abdicated your sanity and sense of proportion. Why don't you spend some time at home to reflect upon your actions?"

[elleng]

40. agreed, mainegreen!

Teachers/administrators with no sense of proportion should be outta here! They're a HUGE reason for first amendment 'fear' and so much of the b.s. we're all subject to.

[HereSince1628]

11. get series?222? Doing skittles leads to doing oxycontin

and everynone nose it. It's a hugh problem, destroying young minds and the schools intended to develop them.

[madrchsod]

12. skittles?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6nDyeV0i6w

[LeftHander]

13. hows that rainbow taste.....

like Zero tolerance crap

[catnhatnh]

14. The kid's a Democrat, right????

This has Rove/sting written all over it-just connect enough dots.

[petronius]

67. No just normal procedure - one of his home-room classmates got suspicious

and filed a report when he asked for change for a $1 bill. :)

[Wilber_Stool]

15. What did she do?

Crush them up and snort them?

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

16. Was this a first offense and what about the "dealer"

Seems a bit harsh to strip an honor student of title and to bar him from a dinner that he worked extremely hard for and deserved.

[Xipe Totec]

17. That's a major no-no in any obedience school

He's lucky they didn't administer the ultimate punishment; a bop on the nose with a rolled up newspaper.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. No candy? This is like the time the Burghermeister banned toys

[woodsprite]

19. Sending the message once again that it doesn't matter how

hard you work or what you achieve, what truly matters is if you tow the line.

Our new thing here at work is reporting what your working on for every 15-min of the day. Fun huh! They better not try to take my Skittles (especially the lime and strawberry ones) from me.

[gatorboy]

20. I tell ya, I didn't think this story would piss me off so much but it does!

To threaten to dismantle some kid's potentially successful future over something like this is infuriating. The faculty should be pegged with skittles as they leave work for a month straight.

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

23. That is interesting...every 15 minutes....

8 hours a day... you'd have to report 32 times per day. If it takes you just five minutes to place that call or to send that e-mail - inclusive of the reply and feedback (which you are undoubtedly NOT getting) - That is 160 minutes per day, 13.34 hours p/ week spent just checking in. I would venture to guess that this is far less productive than the behavior that they are trying to change/correct/control.

8 hours x 60 minutes = 480 minutes
480 / 15 minutes = 32 times
32 x 5 minutes = 160 minutes p/ day
160 x 5 days a week = 800 minutes
800 minutes / 60 minutes = 13.34 hours per week

Clearly I do not have such restrictions......

[woodsprite]

86. Ooohhh! Thanks for the info. I was so steamed I hadn't stopped

to figure it out yet. It's just a change that happened recently. We get 'bugs' or 'tasks' assigned to us thru project management software and we have to account for our time on that. So while we're noting it every 15 min on a calendar sheet, we only have to type it into a program and send it off when we're done working on that particular bug or task for the day. Of course, add to your calc the amount of time it takes on Friday afternoon to write a complete status report on all of our projects, and the weekly staff meeting, then receiving our weekly paper todo lists.

Well, can you say "Micromanagement"?

[MilesColtrane]

21. Whatever happened to detention?

Weird that the story makes no mention of what happened to the kid selling the candy.

Maybe he's in Gitmo now.

[democrank]

22. What a screwed up country.

It`s okay to torture people but it isn`t okay to show a little mercy to an honor student.

[slackmaster]

24. "Junior Students are selling candy for Fundraising" - 12/21/2006

http://www.nhps.net/hsc/Muse94.pdf

So students actually can sell candy, just not on campus?

BTW here is a link to the published policy. Looks like it pertains to vending machine sales. I can't imagine the school has the legal authority to control private transfers of personal candy.

http://www.nhps.net/announcements/announce.asp?NewsID=%7B3273A78E-13B5-4559-8C00-E6B5EA5C67E6%7D

[jmm]

62. Did you check out the lunch menu?

Today they served "Beef Macaroni Casserole" and Monday "Hot Pockets" were one of the lunch options but they're worried about Skittles :wtf:.

[slackmaster]

71. The hypocrisy of candy sales was so glaring I didn't bother looking at the menus

The school is evidently run by the kind of people you find on condo association boards - People who love making up and enforcing silly rules that they don't abide.

[pleah]

25. Goose-step, goose-step, goose-step! Are we there, yet?

[The Traveler]

26. That which is not compulsory

is now forbidden. Anyone remember when this was stilla free country?

[kath]

27. Reason #973 that I am SO glad that my kids don't go to school.

[davidinalameda]

28. I bet the New Haven board office is getting some phone calls today!

dumb asses

[The Straight Story]

30. Homeschool for freedom

:)

[bumblebee1]

69. Will the homeschoolers be able to eat Skittles while doing their school work?

What about M&Ms? Jolly Rogers? Chocolate Rabbits? Hershey Kisses?

[Henryman]

31. Yeah but, Skittles are the gateway candy to Jolly Ranchers!

[Hugin]

32. Yeah, and everyone knows you can lose a tooth to Jolly Ranchers!

What's wrong with kids these days. :eyes:



:sarcasm: <--- If needed.

[endarkenment]

33. That won't be difficult.

The youngsters seem to prefer displaying their underwear at every possible opportunity.

[rocktivity]

34. You mean if he'd GIVEN AWAY or SHARED the Skittles,

that would have been cool?

:crazy:
rocknation

[Javaman]

36. No Skittles for YOU! nt

[skypilot]

37. "Soon they will monitor...

...what kind of underwear people are wearing"


Well, that might have just gotten easier.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,337173,00.html

[appleannie1]

56. Bet they would have ruled differently if someone

had placed a camera under their pant leg. So now women can expect men to take pictures under their skirts simply because they are wearing one?

[acmavm]

38. But I bet the New Haven School System doesn't give a shit about anyone

without enough to eat or a place to live.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

39. I'm shocked that Skittles would allow herself to be bought.

This is truly scandalous!

[windoe]

41. Perhaps this school should receive a massive

delivery of skittles. This is too ridiculous for words.
(general reply)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. or a KICK IN THE ASS!

;-)

[Ilsa]

52. Oh, that would be funnnnnn!!!! nt

[gimberly]

43. Yo, ding dong, man, ding dong, yo!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw00EUh0GT4

[OhioChick]

44. This is Insane!

:crazy:

[Robb]

46. Er, come on. The honor student didn't know the rules?

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--skittlessuspensio0312mar12,0,2388224.story

Michael's suspension has been reduced from three days to one, but he has not been reinstated as class vice president.

He said he didn't realize his candy purchase was against the rules, but he did notice that the student selling the Skittles on Feb. 26 was being secretive.

An administrator busted Michael with the candy in his pocket. His mother says the student who sold him the Skittles out of a lunch box was also suspended.

I mean, seriously. It's been a policy for five years. He broke rules and got caught. Whether the rule is worthwhile is a good discussion to have, but he broke it. :shrug:

[midnight armadillo]

58. The severity of the punishment is out of proportion

Detention for both would have been sufficient. Maybe an essay on nutition or something.

This is WAY over the top.

[YvonneCa]

60. Good luck, Robb...

...I think you are outnumbered here. :7 (And I DO agree with you.) This appears to be the 'no rules' crowd on this thread.:eyes:

[slackmaster]

72. I couldn't find in writing any rule prohibiting private-party transfers of small amounts of candy

The school's written policy says no candy in the vending machines.

[KaptBunnyPants]

47. A hard stance against these substances is best.

When I was in school they couldn't dump enough of this crap on students. Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and trans fats wreak havoc on a person's health, and children are too ill-informed to make choices about their own well-being. A suspension may seem harsh, but kids aren't stupid. They easily form black markets to traffic in prohibited goods, and without a strongly enforced ban they would quickly subvert any attempt by the school to improve nutritional levels.

[BadgerKid]

48. Skittles: the gateway confection

It's surpassed by snorting powdered Smarties. :P

[bobthedrummer]

49. DU's Skittles will probably kick someone's ass over this!

:rofl:

[TheCentepedeShoes]

50. I hate being "old"

but I'm starting to be glad I was born when I was. At least back then the nuttiness at home was offset by the relative sanity in the outer world.

[Runcible Spoon]

65. no shit, right? I'm only 28 but I remember...

we would tape the doors open so we could sneak back in after smoking a joint during 7th period study hall (HEY! Orchestra was 8th and last period before you jump all over me! we played BETTER!) I think these days I would probably be arrested, expelled, and had college scholarships denied :grr:

[bronxiteforever]

51. Ah the skittles. Thats, thats when I had them. Oh they made their little jokes...

:crazy:

[here_is_to_hope]

76. *snicker* n/t

[Ilsa]

53. Is this one of those "Zero Tolerance" kind of decisions made by the

school principal? If so, it makes me crazy. What about three strikes?

I fear we are teaching children to be unforgiving, and telling them there is no reason to develop judgment or even compassion (not that compassion has much to do with that story).

[kirby]

54. BUT... Don't most DUers rail against...

Corporations turning the school environment into a big advertisement / vending machine dispensary?

[Chovexani]

59. Since when is a child a vending machine or a corporation?

This is a kid selling to another kid. For god's sake it was Skittles, not crack.

[kirby]

73. Well...

You perfectly well know the reasons.

First, vending machines were removed because there is an epidemic of childhood obesity and educational institutions should be a place to reinforce good habits.
Obesity IS an epidemic, crack is not. Obesity is approaching 20% of all children! How many are doing crack?

Second, why are kids selling anything to other kids? School is not some supermarket/bazaar/money changing location.

Third, if schools have removed vending machines for the above reasons, then obviously you do not want students to simply replace the vending machines with a 'black market'. If you do, then you have just worked against your own school policy.

[Chovexani]

79. LOL. Black market for candy. Unfuckingbelievable.

Just listen to what you're saying for a minute.

I'm done with you.

[kirby]

82. "I'm done with you."

Well thanks for listening to someone trying to point out the facts. Go ahead, shoot the messenger.

[sofa king]

55. Heh. My candy dealer in 6th grade became my dope dealer in high school.

Obviously, Skittles are a gateway drug.

[Codedonkey]

61. My crack dealer became my skittles dealer when he (and I) went clean....

[bitchkitty]

57. If this is true, then my country is batshit. n/t

[Gemini Cat]

63. WTF!? Suspended for candy? That's stupid.

Stupid people with too much time on their hands and not enough in their brains trying to be important.

[Rowdyboy]

64. ZERO TOLERANCE! One "skit" and you're out!

[Norrin Radd]

70. In the late 80's, I knew a kid in junior high who would fill his backpack

with candy he bought at a bulk store; he'd charge a quarter a piece. Quite the entrepreneur -- must've made a decent return on his investment.

[Infinite Hope]

74. Good grief. n/t

[NashVegas]

75. Why the End User and Not the Dealer?

Ah. The rewards of capitalism.

[Tesha]

77. You *KNOW* how this will work out.

If the parents have any sense, the parents will contact their
attorney and the attorney will threaten to sue the School
District.

The School Board will look at their policy, realize it doesn't
apply *AT ALL* to the situation at hand, and

The School Board will say "Nevermind!", offer their profuse
apologies, and re-instate the kid, restore his office, etc.

But the parents have to be bold enough to take that first step.

Tesha

[CRF450]

78. Since when is Skittles considered contraband?!

What a fucked up school. The middle/high school I went to regularly sold candy, they even had soda vending machines, which we werent allowed to buy from untill the moment school was over for the day.

One of my teachers regularly sold drinks and candy too in the other high school I went to (only went their for auto-tech).

[Bill McBlueState]

80. Could this be part of an attempt to discredit public schools?

You've got tens of thousands of public school districts across the country, and tens of millions of students who attend public schools. Surely, by cherrypicking the news, you can find something stupid happening in at least a few of these schools every single day.

Silly disciplinary measures at a single school somewhere in Connecticut really shouldn't be national news.

[snappyturtle]

83. I hadn't thought of that with this "infraction" but I have thought for

some time now that NCLB is an effort in that direction. I think the plan is that only the poorest of the poor will be relegated to attending public schools. The gov't. is blackmailing schools for funding unless they meet or exceed federal standards that are whacko...skewed. NUTS!

[lame54]

81. What's the street value of those skittles? Were they pure...

or cut with Mike and Ike's?

[otherlander]

84. Evil fucking fascists.

[flvegan]

85. Was the Skittles "dealer" suspended as well?

[Lost4words]

87. Everybody knows Skittles are a gateway drug!

this country has gone to hell..........