Student handcuffed, suspended over 'stolen' 65-cent milk carton

 

TRIANGLE, Va. --

A Virginia teen and his family say the boy is being wrongly prosecuted for taking a carton of milk he was entitled to under a free lunch program.

The teen says he forgot the carton the first time he went through the line at the Graham Park Middle School cafeteria, so he went back. A school resource officer says he saw the teen cutting in line and accused him of stealing the 65-cent milk. Police say the teen "pushed against the officer."

The teen rejected an offer of nonjudicial punishment and a Prince William County judge set a trial date.

The Associated Press doesn't typically identify young people charged with minor crimes. Other local media have identified the boy and his mother because they have opted to speak publicly.