🚀 go-pugleaf

School May Punish Girl Who Ate in Metro Station 

By Petula Dvorak
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday , November 17, 2000 ; Page B01 

Handcuffed and arrested for eating French fries in a Metro 
station, 12-year-old Ansche Hedgepeth may now be kicked off 
her double-dutch jump-rope team or even suspended from school 
for her snacking infraction.

Administrators at Deal Junior High School set up a conference 
for next week to discuss those punitive options, said Ansche's 
mother, Tracey Hedgepeth.

"I couldn't believe they want to punish her even more," 
said the mother, who questioned how the school's jurisdiction 
over her daughter's behavior could extend to a Metro station 
hours after the school day ended.

Deal Principal Reginald Moss said he can't publicly discuss 
Ansche's case. But he said the school system's regulations 
stipulate that the administrators have jurisdiction over 
students when they ride on transportation provided by the 
school. Ansche, like many other students, uses a student 
fare card provided by the school.

Ansche was caught by one of a dozen undercover officers 
dispatched to the Tenleytown-AU Metro station as part of 
a week-long crackdown on illicit snacking. The seventh-grader 
had bought some French fries before riding an elevator into 
the station about 4 p.m. Oct. 23.

Metro police are unapologetic for the actions, pointing to 
their zero-tolerance policy. Yesterday, when Moss called 
Ansche into his office, he told her that the handcuffing may 
have been too harsh. Moss said he tells students that they 
must go straight home.

"He told me I should have gone straight home and not 
stopped to buy any food," Ansche said. "He said that's 
why he wanted to suspend me."

But Ansche said she told Moss that she was hungry. She 
doesn't eat lunch because cafeteria food is "too gross."

"He said I should take some chips or a cupcake and put it 
in my book bag so I have a snack when I'm hungry. But that 
means I have to eat it before I go into the Metro."

Moss verified that an administrative conference has been 
scheduled but said there has been no determination on 
punishment.

The station in question draws students from Deal, Wilson 
High School, Georgetown Day and Sidwell Friends.

"It's a matter or supervision," Moss said of the school's 
vigilance over students away from campus. "You have about 
3,000 kids at the Tenleytown station area every day."

At the beginning of the academic year, Moss said, every 
parent received an automated call reminding them of Metro's 
rules. Fliers are sent out throughout the year reiterating 
the policy.

The principal, who assigns school personnel to the area 
around the Metro station every day, said he could still use 
more help. "I think that had the rules been enforced and 
had Metro put enough people there � visible, uniformed 
people every day � we would not have had one child
targeted and made an example out of in that way."

An article on the arrest appeared in Thursday's Washington 
Post and quickly became a topic of discussion. Ansche was 
sought out by the ABC television show "Good Morning America," 
the BBC in London and a radio station in Australia. Hundreds 
of readers weighed in on the newspaper's Web site. Many 
chastised Metro for overzealous enforcement, though some 
did complain that too many people were eating in the
system. Others cheered Metro for the crackdown.

Some wondered whether Ansche was arrested because she is 
black. Metro reported 25 arrests at the Tenleytown station 
this year. Of those arrested, there were five white males, 
eight black males, eight white females, three black females 
and one listed as a Hispanic female, who could be of any race.

Staff writer Justin Blum contributed to this report.
=====================================================
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36208-2000Nov16.html
-- 
(ken)

Maybe this officer should be arrested for false arrest and child
abuse and kidnapping? This IS bullshit.


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