Connecticut’s Candy Police
It’s good to know that the administrators of Sheridan Middle School in New Haven are on top of their game. When two students engaged in a dangerous transaction involving illicit goods, the school acted. It busted the two kids for trading a bag of Skittles candy.
The New Haven schools superintendent said Wednesday that he will review a principal’s decision to suspend an eighth-grade student for buying candy in school.
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.
The New Haven school system banned candy sales in 2003 as part of a districtwide school wellness policy, said school spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo.
Shelli Sheridan, Michael’s mother, told the New Haven Register that he is a top student with no previous disciplinary problems.
“It’s too much. It’s too unfair,” she said. “He’s never even had a detention.”
Superintendent Reginald Mayo said Wednesday that Sheridan Middle School principal Eleanor Turner just wanted to keep students safe.
He said she warned students repeatedly after the school experienced a rash of candy sales in the fall. There were also worries about those selling the candy, especially after a student’s wallet was stolen on the bus.
“She had concerns about the safety of students carrying large amounts of cash in school,” Mayo said. “The question is, was the punishment too harsh? That’s something we need to evaluate.”
Mayo said he hopes to resolve the situation quickly. Michael’s suspension has been reduced from three days to one, but he has not been reinstated as class vice president.
America, land of the free? Think again!