Florida again: Teen Girl Charged With Felony After Science Experiment Goes Bad

Florida Teen Girl Charged With Felony After Science Experiment Goes Bad

Kiera Wilmot got good grades and had a perfect behavior record. She wasn't the kind of kid you'd expect to find hauled away in handcuffs and expelled from school, but that's exactly what happened after an attempt at a science project went wrong.

~ Article filler about experiment mixing toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil ~

After the explosion Wilmot was taken into custody by a school resources officer and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device. She will be tried as an adult.

She was then taken to a juvenile assessment center. She was also expelled from school and will be forced to complete her diploma through an expulsion program.

Polk County School released the following statement:

"Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the safety and security of our students and staff."

My chemistry teacher actually did that in front of us.

Not really sure that's a weapon, but still not a good idea to do at school. Another case of overzealous school officials.

Smart kid, shows initiative, does extra-curricular work...and they expel her for it?

look at it the other way:

other kids in the school be all like - Hey, she made a draino-splosion at school and no one cared. So, I guess its cool if I make one, just bigger, right...RIGHT?!?

I see it like this - Kid sees youtube vid of what happens with draino and foil in a 2 liter bottle. Thinks this is cool, decides to show other kids...WHILE AT SCHOOL. What the hell did she think would have happened? Her teachers wouldve patted her on the back and given her a gold star? seriously? Overzealous? If that cap wouldve taken a kids eye out, or plastic shrapnel and hot caustic sludge landed on her/another kids face, and they ended up looking like sloth from Goonies, everyone would be all about locking her up.

hypocritical people are hypocrites

I did this same thing for a chemistry project in high school. It was pre 9/11, however.

In this case I would expect a judge to look at the case, see there was no observable attempt to cause explosion, and drop the charges.

Understanding that this is not in any way an excuse, but charging her with a felony is, I believe, a mistake and overreaction.

The pussification of America continues.

I think she should have received some sort of punishment for the reason 4cylindrfury notes. Expulsion is a bit strong, though. Maybe a week's suspension or something.

Curmudgeon wrote: I think she should have received some sort of punishment for the reason 4cylindrfury notes. Expulsion is a bit strong, though. Maybe a week's suspension or something.

This...even suspension is maybe too strong. Kids do things that could involve more danger in gym class right in front of the teachers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School-to-prison_pipeline

N Sperlo wrote: In this case I would expect a judge to look at the case, see there was no observable attempt to cause explosion, and drop the charges. The pussification of America continues.

Thats assuming that she even gets to go before a judge, since thsy are trying her as an adult, the prosecutor will likly push for a plea bargin using a stack of outrageous charges as leverage. She probably cant afford a lawer with enough balls to tell the prosecutor where to stick it. So by the time a judge gets involved its a mere legal formality. And don't assume that the judges really care about kids either. Check out the shocking and disgusting kids for cash scandal!

.

Curmudgeon wrote: I think she should have received some sort of punishment for the reason 4cylindrfury notes. Expulsion is a bit strong, though. Maybe a week's suspension or something.

The reaction is way overblown, but at the same time, as a 16 year old, you should know E36 M3 you should and should NOT do at school. Passing this off as an "extracurricular" science experiment makes my blood boil a bit, as clearly the person was just berkeleying around. Which is fine, but don't do that at school. Those "bombs" can pack a serious punch, and you'd think with all of the "incidents" in the US lately, a 16 year old "grade A" student could put two and two together and figure E36 M3 the hell out

In reply to HiTempguy: I agree, but that doesn't mean that she dhould be expelled, charged with serious crimes and tried as an adult!

One of my friends built one of these when he was 15 and walked up to it after it didn't go off. Guess what? it did. 300 pieces of foil removed from his eye. Last year he received an artificial cornea to replace the damaged one

HiTempguy wrote:

Curmudgeon wrote: I think she should have received some sort of punishment for the reason 4cylindrfury notes. Expulsion is a bit strong, though. Maybe a week's suspension or something.

The reaction is way overblown, but at the same time, as a 16 year old, you should know E36 M3 you should and should NOT do at school. Passing this off as an "extracurricular" science experiment makes my blood boil a bit, as clearly the person was just berkeleying around. Which is fine, but don't do that at school. Those "bombs" can pack a serious punch, and you'd think with all of the "incidents" in the US lately, a 16 year old "grade A" student could put two and two together and figure E36 M3 the hell out

^this. They need to ratchet back on the extreme punishment but this could have gone much worse, she's just lucky it didn't. The "experiment" angle is pure BS.

FTFY

"Anytime a school official makes a bad decision it is disappointing to society. The incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was minor and inconsequential. In order to maintain an effective learning environment, we simply must think before we act. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the integrity of the school system for the sake of political correctness."

HappyAndy wrote: And don't assume that the judges really care about kids either. Check out the shocking and disgusting kids for cash scandal!

This is right in my backyard. I think the corruption in PA is almost as bad as Mexico sometimes.

This is the number one reason why I feel that privatizing prisons is a horrible idea - the idea itself is fine, excepting for the opportunistic aspects of human nature. At some point people are willing to profit off just about anything.

Sorry... tangent post.

She'll be alright. School is fer faggots anyway.

And to think, I was in chem 1, 2, and AP after 9/11.......my final projects were gunpowder(the chordite kind, not black powder), Napalm, and finally for my AP course.......Thermite.

There is still a hole through the 7" of asphalt at my high school with glass in the bottom of it from that one.

Hell, a friend of mine actually distilled moonshine for one of his finals..... None of us were threatened with expulsion, suspension, detention, criminal charges, etc......WTF is this world coming to?

There's no doubt, the girl did something wrong, but is making a soda bottle pop at 7am worth taking at least year of someone's life (the minimum for a felony), their voting rights, their 2nd amendment rights, their chance at college scholarships and their chance at a high school diploma?

Seems more like a couple detentions worth of trouble, with maybe research paper on their 'experiment'

I would hate to see what they'd do to someone that put a cherry bomb in a toilet at this school. They'd probably summarily execute them in the stall...

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

HappyAndy wrote: And don't assume that the judges really care about kids either. Check out the shocking and disgusting kids for cash scandal!

This is right in my backyard. I think the corruption in PA is almost as bad as Mexico sometimes. This is the number one reason why I feel that privatizing prisons is a horrible idea - the idea itself is fine, excepting for the opportunistic aspects of human nature. At some point people are willing to profit off just about anything. Sorry... tangent post.

Yeah, I'm all for free markets, but we have to watch what we're incentivizing.

On 7 a.m. on Monday, the 16 year-old mixed some common household chemicals in a small 8 oz water bottle on the grounds of Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida.

Yeah, Polk County is in the news again! We're so proud!

Zomby Woof wrote: FTFY

"Anytime a school official makes a bad decision it is disappointing to society. The incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was minor and inconsequential. In order to maintain an effective learning environment, we simply must think before we act. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the integrity of the school system for the sake of political correctness."

i think ZW's account has been haxxored...

yamaha wrote: And to think, I was in chem 1, 2, and AP after 9/11.......my final projects were gunpowder(the chordite kind, not black powder), Napalm, and finally for my AP course.......Thermite. [....] Hell, a friend of mine actually distilled moonshine for one of his finals.....

...All of which were done FOR A CLASS, not berkeleying around in the parking lot saying, "Hey ya'll, watch this."