split hairs

student A has a drink in the classroom. this drink is not part of or provided by BCPS school breakfast program. student A puts the drink on a file cabinet between the teacher's desk and the trash can. this location is not recognizable as "near" student A's desk. an unknown number of other students may or may not have been playing with the drink, picking it up and pretending to drink out of it.

student B sees the drink next to the trash and throws it away. student B claims to not know the owner until after it was in the trash.

student A picks up student B's binder and throws it across the room. student A is sent to the office.

student B is called to the office. student B is given a 2-hour after school detention for touching another student's property by throwing the drink in the trash.

W. T. F.

1. drinks are not allowed in the classroom. student A was breaking the rules. student B should not have touched the drink. student B should apologize and possibly replace the price of the drink.

2. if student A had not thrown a temper tantrum, would student B get a detention anyway? that question is apparently "splitting hairs."

3. will the will the first students to "play with the drink" be given detention for touching student property? how about student A? he touched student B's property when he threw it across the room. the administration "will not discuss other students."

bottom line is, sweetcheeks, my boy isn't serving a detention for throwing trash away. next time, make sure your students are all obeying the rules, and there won't be a drink in the classroom at all. i split hairs for a living.