She was at school. Her water bottle exploded. They thought it was a weapon.

Kids go to school to learn. So why are so many of them, as early as kindergarten, leaving in handcuffs?

Kiera Wilmot was cuffed and arrested after a high-school science experiment with a water bottle went wrong.

Because of the school’s “zero-tolerance” policy, the honor student was expelled.

But Kiera’s not alone.


Meet J’aiesha Scott. She was 5 years old when she was handcuffed and thrown in the back of a police car — left to cry for hours.

Granted, most kids aren’t perfect, but I doubt they deserve to be carted off to jail for throwing a tantrum or making a mistake on a science project.

That’s like sending…

Veruca Salt, who threw a tantrum after not getting everything at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory…

TO PRISON FOR LIFE

Telling little Orphan Annie that she’ll be …

JAILED FOR HAVING A HARD-KNOCK LIFE

Or handcuffing Cameron because he threw a tantrum after being fed up with his best friend.


ARRESTED FOR SAVING FERRIS BUELLER

They should all be taken out of school and jailed for not getting their way. Does that sound right? Nope, not to me … and probably not to any of these kids either:

Want to find out more about the school-to-prison pipeline and how to stop it? Start with this explainer and then learn more here.

Pop Culture

‘The Tiffany Problem’ explains why people think historically accurate things are wrong

Science

Despondent weatherman goes off-script on live TV to explain why he ‘can’t’ forecast anymore

Pets

The real reason why you should always pet your dog before leaving the house

Culture

I showed my Gen Z kids ‘Dead Poets Society’ and their angry reactions to it floored me