Kiera Wilmot, a central Florida teenager who was accused of igniting a chemical explosion on school grounds – and who became the subject of a grassroots social media campaign on her behalf – will not face criminal charges,
A central Florida teenager who was accused of igniting a chemical explosion on school grounds – and who became the subject of a grassroots social media campaign on her behalf – will not face criminal charges, authorities said Wednesday.
Polk County State Attorney Jerry Hill wrote in a statement that the case against 16-year-old Kiera Wilmot has been dismissed, but that she must complete a diversion program.
The teen was arrested April 22 and faced possible felony charges after school administrators reported she combined toilet bowl cleaner and aluminum foil in a bottle, and the resulting gas blew the cap off the plastic bottle, according to the police report. The explosion happened outside, before school started, and no one was injured.
Kiera told Bartow police she was doing a science experiment, but science teachers said they had no knowledge of an experiment.
"Based upon the facts and circumstances of the case, the lack of criminal history of the child involved, and the action taken by the Polk County School Board, the State Attorney's Office extended an offer of diversion of prosecution to the child," Hill said in the statement. "The child and her guardian signed the agreement to successfully complete the Department of Juvenile Justice Diversion Program."
Details about the program aren't public record because Kiera is a juvenile.
The teen's arrest launched an outcry on social media by people who thought the arrest was unfair and heavy-handed.
Nearly 200,000 people signed an online petition protesting her arrest, and her name trended on Twitter for a few days. Several heavily trafficked websites wrote about her case, saying that she shouldn't face felony charges for a science experiment gone bad – and that an arrest in the case sent the wrong message to budding scientists. Other columnists felt that Kiera was treated harshly because she is black – and that a white student doing a similar experiment wouldn't have been handcuffed and arrested.
"With this type of thinking is it any wonder Black and Latino Children are under-represented in Science Fairs," wrote DNLee, a biologist and popular blogger for the Scientific American website. "If everyone around you has the idea that only legitimate science experiments are those sanctioned and prescribed to students, then when are students expected to explore independent authentic science interests? In Bartow, Florida, I guess the answer is no."
Kiera Wilmot got good grades and had a perfect behavior record. She wasn't the kind of kid you'd expect to find hauled away in handcuffs and expelled from school, but that's exactly what happened after an attempt at a science project went horribly wrong.
On 7 a.m. on Monday, the 16 year-old mixed some common household chemicals in a small 8 oz water bottle on the grounds of Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida. The reaction caused a small explosion that caused the top to pop up and produced some smoke. No one was hurt and no damage was caused.
According to WTSP, Wilmot told police that she was merely conducting a science experiment. Though her teachers knew nothing of the specific project, her principal seems to agree.
"She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don't think she meant to ever hurt anyone," principal Ron Pritchard told the station. "She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked, too."
After the explosion Wilmot was taken into custody by a school resources officer and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device. She will be tried as an adult.
She was then taken to a juvenile assessment center. She was also expelled from school and will be forced to complete her diploma through an expulsion program.
Polk County School released the following statement:
Quote:
"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."
I can see her getting in serious trouble with the school, and maybe even expelled (I don't know her school discipline records). Still, the charges seem pretty ridiculous, and I would think there should be some investigation before expelling her and incarcerating her.
This also probably got people scared and suspicious because of the bombings. Also, it's Florida.
Possession of a Weapon on School Grounds, are felonies of the third degree, which can result in state prison time for up to five years and/or fines not in excess of $5,000.
Discharge of a Destructive Device,are felonies of the third degree, which can result in state prison time for up to 15 years and/or fines not in excess of $10,000.
The definition on doing the MOST on this poor girl, it was an accident and it was for a Science project. She wasn't intentionally trying to hurt anyone and mess at them trying to act like she was planning to do something.