KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffFirst Grader Punished for Bag of Dirt

First Grader Punished for Bag of Dirt

Sikeston, Missouri --A Southeast Missouri first grader finds herself in big trouble after playing with a plastic bag she found on the playground.

It happened last tuesday during recess at Mathews Elementary in Sikeston, MO.

The girl's mother says her daughter used the bag to make her friend a present. But, her teacher didn't see it that way.

Tuesday Heartland News spoke with 6-year-old Michaela Boyd, and her mother Michele. They tell Heartland News teachers confused a hand-gathered gift of nature's goodies with a bag of marijuana.

"There was nothing in the bag i just found it on the ground." Said first grader Michaela Boyd.

After finding the bag much like the one disposable utensils come in, Michaela says she decided to make her friend a bag of goodies, "They said what did you make this out of. and what did you tell them. I said out of dirt. And what else. I made it with rocks, clover and dirt."

Her mom, Michele, says after Michaela put the mixture into the bag, she tied the top with a purple ponytail holder and gave it to her friend saying,"here's a bag of dirt."

After recess was over the student gave the bag of dirt to their teacher.

Michele says after meeting with the teacher and principal, she was told that the bag of dirt, "looked like a bag of weed."

Michaela says, "They said it was kind of a drug. I don't know what they are I only see cigarettes. That's all I say."

Heartland News spoke with superintendent Stephen Borgsmiller about what happened here on the playground last Tuesday and he says while he can not comment on this particular case given the childs age. He did tell me that after gathering all the information an assessment was made and now they are moving on."

Michele says she doesn't deny what her daughter did. But she does disagree with the two-day in-school detention. "They said it would be on her school record as far as disciplinary that she made a look alike drug but I don't feel like that's right. Because she didn't do anything wrong."

Michele says her daughter served her two day, in-school detention last Thursday and Friday. And while she's still upset with the schools actions, Michele is not considering moving her daughter to another school.