RIO RANCHO,
N.M. -- A Rio Rancho teen was slapped with an in-school suspension
for taking both sodas that came out of a vending machine, when he had
only paid for one.
That story, first reported on KOAT Action 7 News, was the talk
of the town Thursday. It was the buzz on morning radio, topped local
newscasts and was the talk of parents in the Rio Rancho School
District.
| SURVEY |
| A soda machine gives
you 2 cans for the price of 1. Do you keep both? |
|
Yes
No |
|
| |
On
Monday, Rio Rancho student Mason Kisner, 12, said he bought a can of
pop at a school vending machine, and instead of getting one can, he
received two.
Kisner said he spread the word, and other students tried to get
in on the deal. A teacher who saw Kisner getting the two sodas on
Monday told him not to do it again. But Kisner said the teacher saw
him get another two sodas for the price of one on Tuesday.
The boy said the teacher called him a thief and accused him of
trying to teach other students how to steal. He was written up, given
a two-day in-school suspension and the incident will appear on his
permanent school record.
"I'm flabbergasted, bewildered, dumbfounded. I can't think of
another word to describe how I feel about this incident," said Edward
Kisner, the boy's father. "What kind of character is this showing
Mason?"
"It makes me feel very sad that I'm going to be thought as a
thief later on in my life," Mason Kisner said. "Heck, I might not get
in a good college or get a good job because on my permanent record it
will say that when I was a kid, I stole."
Rio Rancho Public Schools issued a written statement: "On
Monday a teacher observed Mason manipulating the soft drink machine at
the school. The teacher advised Mason that getting two sodas for the
price of one is the equivalent to stealing. When the teacher observed
Mason doing the same thing again on Tuesday, she wrote him up."
However, according to Pepsi Cola, which distributes the
machines, a problem like this one with a vending machine is usually a
programming error. A company representative said the student could not
have manipulated the machine from the outside.
"I'm very disappointed I haven't gotten a phone call from the
school resending Mason's suspension at this point," said Edward
Kisner. "You know, when you say you're wrong, it's not a sign of
weakness."
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