9-Year-Old Won't Be Punished For Cough Drop Controversy
School Officials Meet With Girl Over Cough Drop Incident
POSTED: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
UPDATED: 5:53 pm EST December 17,
2008
CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- A cough drop controversy that involved a 9-year-old Clay County elementary school student came to an end Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Khalin Rivenbark told Channel 4 her father had put some Halls Vitamin C cough drops in her school bag because she was getting over a cold, but the drops became a problem when she handed them out to her friends at school.
The child also said that one of the students gave her $1 for the cough drop and when her teacher saw the exchange, she was accused of selling drugs.
"She saw me with the cough drops out and I guess she saw me give it to one of my friends, and then like, 'Oh, I see this good business going on around you,'" Khalin said. "She said, 'You're selling drugs.' (I said) 'No I'm not.'"
The girl and her father met with officials at the Patterson Elementary School on Wednesday morning about the incident.
During the meeting, officials said, the girl and her father were told not to bring cough drops to school anymore because of a district-wide policy on student use of medication.
According to the student handbook for Clay County Schools, "If a student must take a prescription or over-the-counter medication during school hours, it must be received and stored in the original container, and be labeled with the student's name, current date, prescription dosage, frequency of administration and physician's name."
According to school officials, there was no threat of discipline of any kind for Khalin.
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