School Food Police, “Do the Crime, Do the Time” — Texas Student Punished with 1-Week Detention & Separation from Other Students… for Having 1 Jolly Rancher Candy
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on May 12, 2010
Texas student had one Jolly Rancher and was given 1-week's detention... what punishment would she have been given if she had a home-baked oatmeal cookie?
And yet, another excellent reason to consider homeschooling… the government’s “food police” is infiltrating the public schools (no more school bake sales in New York), and then before you know it, as journalist Michelle Malkin details today on her blog the hypocrisy of the First Couple and, if food-obsessed FLOTUS Michelle Obama has her say, food policing will creep into our homes.
Gradualism at work.
From KHOU-Houston, Jolly Rancher lands Brazos ISD third-grader in detention for a week:
ORCHARD, Texas – A third-grader at Brazos Elementary was given a week’s detention for possessing a Jolly Rancher.
School officials in Brazos County are defending the seemingly harsh sentence. The school’s principal and superintendent said they were simply complying with a state law that limits junk food in schools.
But the girl’s parents say it’s a huge overreaction.
“I think it’s stupid to give a kid a week’s worth of detention for a piece of candy,” said Amber Brazda, the girl’s mother. “The whole thing was just ridiculous to me.”
Leighann Adair, 10, was eating lunch Monday when a teacher confiscated the candy. Her parents said she was in tears when she arrived home later that afternoon and handed them the detention notice.
According to the disciplinary referral, she would be separated from other students during lunch and recess through Friday.
Jack Ellis, the superintendent for Brazos Independent School District, declined an on-camera interview. But he said the school was abiding by a state guideline that banned “minimal nutrition” foods.
“Whether or not I agree with the guidelines, we have to follow the rules,” he said.
The state, however, gives each school discretion over how to enforce the policy. Ellis said school officials had decided a stricter punishment was necessary after lesser penalties failed to serve as a deterrent.
Ellis said failing to adhere to the state’s guidelines could put federal funding in jeopardy.
According to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s website, “The Texas Public School Nutrition Policy (TPSNP) explicitly states that it does not restrict what foods or beverages parents may provide for their own children’s consumption.”
Brazos Elementary Principal Jeanne Young, said the problem, in this instance, was that the candy was provided by another student – not the girl’s parents.
The girl’s mother said the incident has taught her daughter a lesson, but not the one her teachers intended.
“I told her, ‘Leighann, unfortunately you’re learning very young that life’s not fair,’” Brazda said.
With a severe punishment like this for one tiny piece of hard candy, what does this school dole out to 10-year-olds as its idea of a “fair” punishment for, oh say, cheating on a test or bullying another kid? I shudder to think… cat o’ nine tails, anyone?
This Sesame Street video encore is a bit of a stretch to be related to this post, but it still cracks me up. Food Czarina Michelle Obama made a guest appearance on Sesame Street to talk about nutrition. Conan O’Brien’s cheeky staff switched up the dialogue a “bit” in this spoof. A deserved laugh after the last few weeks of BHO news…
Laughter. Is. Good.
Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Spoof on Sesame Street with Michelle Obama | October 2009
Related food police reading:
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Grain of Salt: Team Obama’s Food Police Now Attacking Salt in Processed Foods and They’re Coming… “Meat Police” to Save the Planet from Global Warming — Update: Gov’t on Power-Grab Path to Monitoring Our Body Fat & Poop and We’re Confiscating That Burger! Obama Administration Wants to Control Americans Eating Meat? and Recommended ‘Green’ Diet from Enviro-Nutjobs: Eat Your Pets, Prevent Global Warming and “Sweatin’ to the Oldies with Obama”: Mandated Food and Exercise in Store for America the “Nanny State”?
Founding Bloggers: From “Just Say No” – To Just Say “No Ho-Ho”
Michelle Malkin: Here come Michelle Obama’s food marketing police and SEIU fatcats behind First Lady’s anti-obesity campaign and And now for some hard-hitting reporting on Michelle Obama and No snitching on Michelle Obama allowed!
Right Wing News: Michelle Obama Warns of Donut-Made Disasters
Legal Insurrection, The Upside Of Salt Regulation – Job Creation
Hot Air: Great news: FDA to regulate salt in processed foods
Right Pundits: FDA Salt Regulation: No Salt For You!
George Moneo, Babalú Blog: “Meat Control.” Yes, you read that correctly…
Obama Foodorama: On Larry King Live, Meat Safety In The Obama Era Gets Ground Up In Other Issues
Big Hollywood: Health Nazis Target Movie Snacks
The Underground Conservative: The War On … Hamburgers?
The Snooper Report: Hamburgers Are REALLY Bad For Me…
Riehl World View: The Key To Safe Hamburger
Track-A-’Crat: Warning: Stay Out Of Eating Range
Mary Grabar, Big Government: The Tangled Web of Green: Manufacturing a Public Scare
Fire Andrea Mitchell!: No photos of Michelle Obama allowed!
About the author
And yet, another excellent reason to consider homeschooling…
Yep. We did. All four of ours. And all are earning honors in their university studies, as well as demonstrating they can think for themselves!
Good for you, Marilyn – bravo! I was a high school English teacher for a long-distance homeschooling online academy for several years. Finances never permitted me to be able to homeschool my own children, which I regret, but trust in that I was a fervent mother every night to find out what they learned that day at school. I was also active on the PTA and as a Girl Scout leader, and kept in frequent touch with the principal and teachers. For those who can homeschool, I applaud you as I believe, anymore, that is indeed the ideal way to go. There are many excellent public school teachers and not all teachers are liberal nutbars, but a good number are. You just never know how liberal some are until it’s too late. Plus, the one-on-one instruction is superior to a crammed classroom with 30-plus students.
I’m glad you were able to homeschool. Did you devise your own curriculum or use a homeschool curriculum?
[...] Café: School Food Police, “Do the Crime, Do the Time” — Texas Student Punished with 1-Week Detention… and “Viva Los 1070″ vs. “Los Suns” — Phoenix Suns Security Hassles Business Man to [...]