Zero-Tolerance Rules Foil Another Terrorist Plot

Two days ago we posted a story about an Eagle Scout who was arrested, charged with a felony, and kicked out of school because he absentmindedly left his shotgun in the trunk of his car when he went to school.

Today, in another of what is a depressingly familiar series of stories about good kids running afoul of zero-tolerance nonsense, we have this sad saga from Florida.

No one ever expected to see a mug shot from 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot.

The teenager is known among staff for her exemplary record at Bartow High School and her status as a good student.

"She is a good kid," said principal Ron Pritchard. "She has never been in trouble before. Ever."

All of that changed on Monday morning.

The teen is accused of mixing household chemicals in a tiny 8-ounce water bottle, causing the top to pop off, followed by billowing smoke in an small explosion.

The chemicals in question were common bathroom cleaner (active ingredient - HCL, or hyrochloric acid) and aluminum foil. Combining the two creates a chemical reaction that produces heat, light, and smoke. When done in an enclosed container, a small explosion can result from a rapid increase in pressure. It isn't much different than dropping a Mentos breath mint into a bottle of Coca-Cola.

Wilmot's friends and classmates said it was "a science project gone bad, that she never meant to hurt anyone."

Even the teen's principal said, "She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don't think she meant to ever hurt anyone. She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did.

The explosion happened around 7 a.m. Monday morning on school property, and no one was hurt. Staff, along with the school resource officer, acted quickly.

The principal told 10 News, "She told us everything and was very honest. She didn't run or try to hide the truth. We had a long conversation with her."

So, was this curiosity? Was it a science project gone wrong or a true bomb plot? Those who know the teen insist that this was nothing sinister.

"She just wanted to see what happened to those chemicals in the bottle," one teen said.  "Now, look what happened."

Wilmot was arrested Monday morning and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device.

A weapon?!? Bathroom cleaner and tin foil? By all accounts this is a good kid with a little too much curiosity for her own good. No malicious intent, no injuries, no damage. Yet now she has an arrest record and has been expelled from school. Below is a picture of what school administrators consider a budding terrorist.

Good thing we got this obvious threat to public safety off the streets before she did something terrible.

Polk County Schools released this statement today:

"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."

And we will not substitute judgment and common sense for zero-tolerance rules that we can hide behind.

Idiots...