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Seventh-Grader Accused of Snorting Candy Will Reportedly Have Drug Possession as Part of His Permanent School Record

Seventh-Grader Accused of Snorting Candy Will Reportedly Have Drug Possession as Part of His Permanent School Record

“The purpose the hearing will be to hear testimony and decide remedies concerning the possession of drugs/Smarties."

A New Mexico middle school student accused of inhaling ground-up Smarties candies at school last month says he has learned that his school record will now permanently reflect the charge of drug possession.

School administers last month accused Andrew Stonelake, 13, along with two other students of crushing and snorting the candies on the campus of Marshall Middle School in Clovis, New Mexico. Stonelake's mother, Kelly Cook, said the the boy denies the charges, and that the school is overreacting.

Cook told KRQE that her son and a couple of other students had crushed up Smarties and were just “blowing smoke out at each other” and "horse playing."

13-year-old Andrew Stonelake was accused in November of snorting smarties on the campus of Marshall Middle School in Clovis, a charge which his mother denies. (Image via KRQE) Thirteen-year-old Andrew Stonelake was accused in November of snorting Smarties on the campus of Marshall Middle School in Clovis, a charge his mother denies. (Image source: KRQE)

Administrators, however, took the incident much more seriously, accusing Stonelake of “possession of drugs/Smarties” and calling a special hearing to examine his behavior.

“The purpose the hearing will be to hear testimony and decide remedies concerning the possession of drugs/Smarties, by you Andrew Stonelake, on the grounds and in the building of Marshall Middle School,” read the letter, obtained by KRQE.

“Possible remedies might include, but may not be limit to short-term suspension, long-term suspension, expulsion, student contracts, suspension for the rest of the semester or year, referral and placement at an alternative school site or any combination of the above,” it continued.

Image source: KRQE

The letter also informed the family they had “the right to be represented at the hearing by legal counsel of a representative, at your expense.”

Stonelake served 12 days of suspension pending the fact-finding hearing and Kelly says she was informed last week that his punishment would also include having the drug charge as part of his permanent school record.

“They explained to me that the blowing of the Smarties was imitating drug use,” Cook told KRQE.

The school's official policy on controlled substances, included in the "Drug & Alcohol Use by Students” section, appears to contain no explicit ban on smarties, only saying "drinking, use and/or possession of illegal drugs, inhalants, etc.,” will not be tolerated.

Clovis Schools Superintendent Jody Balch told KRQE that the school would consider adding Smarties explicitly "if snorting candy becomes the new normal."

Meanwhile, Cook, Stonewall's mother, said she is the process of hiring an attorney.

“I’m not for letting it go, I really am not," she said. "I will take the proper steps in trying to get this resolved."

Neither Cook nor the Clovis Municipal Schools immediately returned comment to TheBlaze.

Follow Josiah Ryan (@JosiahRyan) on Twitter

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