Teen accused of stealing 65-cent carton of milk at middle school to face trial

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Excuse me.
He had the right to a free carton of milk, he went to take it rapidly without waiting in line because otherwise he wouldn't have time to eat, which makes perfect sense, and people are mad about this?
His cooperation or non-cooperation afterward has no bearing on the fact that he did nothing wrong. The school was probably trying to pin him down for something because he's a problem kid, BUT - he did nothing wrong this time.

In what crazy world are we living in?
The kid should be compensated by the school.

Ding Ding, we have a winner! He (with I'm sure his mom's guidance) is escalating it so he can get some sue and get $$$ from the school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um, did y'all just completely miss this part?

When Ryan didn’t cooperate with a trip to see the principal, authorities say, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and petit larceny

Sounds like he cut in line (not ok under any circumstance) and grabbed the milk. He was asked about it and then refused to cooperate. I doubt he was calm, polite, and respectful. It is more likely that he was simply told not to cut in line and asked if he had already received his FREE milk and he acted like an ass. Then he refused to go to the principals office. The police were called because he was probably shouting obscenities and refusing to do what the school staff asked.

I see no problem at all with this.

Good thing you have all the facts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, did y'all just completely miss this part?

When Ryan didn’t cooperate with a trip to see the principal, authorities say, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and petit larceny

Sounds like he cut in line (not ok under any circumstance) and grabbed the milk. He was asked about it and then refused to cooperate. I doubt he was calm, polite, and respectful. It is more likely that he was simply told not to cut in line and asked if he had already received his FREE milk and he acted like an ass. Then he refused to go to the principals office. The police were called because he was probably shouting obscenities and refusing to do what the school staff asked.

I see no problem at all with this.

Good thing you have all the facts!

Good thing you have all the facts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frickin ridiculous

My father was an assistant principal. He faced down kids with knives and nunchucks. And I don't believe law enforcement was ever involved.

Seriously? Going to court over a milk? I just can't

The kid was offered the option not to go to court. He chose not to take that option.

He was offered a punishment. I wouldn't accept a punishment if I didn't do anything wrong. Good for this kid to have a backbone.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like they gave him every opportunity to fix it without it becoming a big deal, and the student wanted to escalate it. Now he gets to be a victim of institutional racism, which I'm sure will get him on TV and so on.

Or, on the flip side, he did nothing wrong, felt like he did nothing wrong, and was blamed for something and offered an opportunity to cop a plea when he was actually innocent? So now he is trying to make a stand to show the biases of the system?

It is funny how we forget are talking about a child. Most kids do things impulsively. Most of what they do is not part of an elaborate plan. Even if he STOLE the free milk why did the police need to get involved. It is just over the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Excuse me.
He had the right to a free carton of milk, he went to take it rapidly without waiting in line because otherwise he wouldn't have time to eat, which makes perfect sense, and people are mad about this?

He still needs to check out with the cashier like everyone else, just like he does for his lunch. Not everyone in that line gets free meals, so he needs to have this processed by the cashier, even if he won't have to pay anything.

Just like if you have a get 1 free coupon at the grocery store. You still need to hand it to the cashier, not just grab an item and walk out the door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Excuse me.
He had the right to a free carton of milk, he went to take it rapidly without waiting in line because otherwise he wouldn't have time to eat, which makes perfect sense, and people are mad about this?

He still needs to check out with the cashier like everyone else, just like he does for his lunch. Not everyone in that line gets free meals, so he needs to have this processed by the cashier, even if he won't have to pay anything.

Just like if you have a get 1 free coupon at the grocery store. You still need to hand it to the cashier, not just grab an item and walk out the door.

But if you are in a cafeteria style restaurant and you pay for a meal that includes a cookie, and you forget to get your cookie, do you have to go to the end of the line? And have the cashier check you out, again? i don't think so. I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Excuse me.
He had the right to a free carton of milk, he went to take it rapidly without waiting in line because otherwise he wouldn't have time to eat, which makes perfect sense, and people are mad about this?

He still needs to check out with the cashier like everyone else, just like he does for his lunch. Not everyone in that line gets free meals, so he needs to have this processed by the cashier, even if he won't have to pay anything.

Just like if you have a get 1 free coupon at the grocery store. You still need to hand it to the cashier, not just grab an item and walk out the door.

But if you are in a cafeteria style restaurant and you pay for a meal that includes a cookie, and you forget to get your cookie, do you have to go to the end of the line? And have the cashier check you out, again? i don't think so. I wouldn't.

If someone accused you of stealing, as you walked away with your cookie, would you explain? As an adult, you would handle the situation.

As a child, this teen didn't explain, he fought back, refused to explain, apologize, etc. Unfortunately, the adults in the situation (the principal, the police officer, his mother) could not convince him and each other to behave like adults, and they all escalated things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Excuse me.
He had the right to a free carton of milk, he went to take it rapidly without waiting in line because otherwise he wouldn't have time to eat, which makes perfect sense, and people are mad about this?

He still needs to check out with the cashier like everyone else, just like he does for his lunch. Not everyone in that line gets free meals, so he needs to have this processed by the cashier, even if he won't have to pay anything.

Just like if you have a get 1 free coupon at the grocery store. You still need to hand it to the cashier, not just grab an item and walk out the door.

But if you are in a cafeteria style restaurant and you pay for a meal that includes a cookie, and you forget to get your cookie, do you have to go to the end of the line? And have the cashier check you out, again? i don't think so. I wouldn't.

I'd at least mention it to the cashier... how would they know I'm not stealing?

[Anonymous]

It's a sixty five cent carton of milk that the school did not pay for. That milk is paid for by the USDA, a federal agency. So they are going to spend thousands of dollars to prosecute a .65 product. Idiots. Oh, it's Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a sixty five cent carton of milk that the school did not pay for. That milk is paid for by the USDA, a federal agency. So they are going to spend thousands of dollars to prosecute a .65 product. Idiots. Oh, it's Virginia.

Yes, let everyone know there are no consequences to illegal behavior. Steal small stuff...it's fine....

[Anonymous]

This is a reflection of the complete disregard for authority that certain protest movements are engendering.

Likely no one on this board has any idea what the actual facts are. But I will be shocked if it turns out that this person - a child, but certainly one of an age that knows right from wrong - is from a family or societal group that respects police and legitimate authority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Excuse me.
He had the right to a free carton of milk, he went to take it rapidly without waiting in line because otherwise he wouldn't have time to eat, which makes perfect sense, and people are mad about this?

He still needs to check out with the cashier like everyone else, just like he does for his lunch. Not everyone in that line gets free meals, so he needs to have this processed by the cashier, even if he won't have to pay anything.

Just like if you have a get 1 free coupon at the grocery store. You still need to hand it to the cashier, not just grab an item and walk out the door.

But if you are in a cafeteria style restaurant and you pay for a meal that includes a cookie, and you forget to get your cookie, do you have to go to the end of the line? And have the cashier check you out, again? i don't think so. I wouldn't.

I'd at least mention it to the cashier... how would they know I'm not stealing?

but how much experience do you have navigating stores, cashiers, buying things? It's a kid going to the same cafeteria with the sane people every day, not even using actual dollars. He probably had no idea they would think he was stealing because he wasn't and assumed what he was doing was obvious. Because he's a kid with little experience and maturity.

[Anonymous]

Scene at the Washington Post editorial offices:

"Have we got any stories of white police officers shooting unarmed black men?"
"No."
"Have we got any stories of black men being abused by white police officers?"
"No."
"Great Caesar's ghost, what do we have then?"
"Well, we have story about a black kid who stole a carton of milk. But the arresting officer was also black."
"We'll go with that. Leave the part about the officer's race out until the end."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like they gave him every opportunity to fix it without it becoming a big deal, and the student wanted to escalate it. Now he gets to be a victim of institutional racism, which I'm sure will get him on TV and so on.

Or, on the flip side, he did nothing wrong, felt like he did nothing wrong, and was blamed for something and offered an opportunity to cop a plea when he was actually innocent? So now he is trying to make a stand to show the biases of the system?

I agree with this. He didn't do anything wrong. They need to throw this case out- over a .65 cent milk. The prosecutors should be ashamed.

Stealing not wrong in certain culture?

He didn't steal it. It had been paid for. That's how free lunch works. This is no different than if you checked out, and accidentally left an item that was paid for by the register, and you went back and grabbed it.