When Science Looks Dangerous

Counseling has been suggested by authorities for a student and his parents after the child brought what school officials thought might be something dangerous to school. The item in question was an empty half of a Gatorade bottle with some wires and other electrical components attached.

The items were assembled by an eleven year old for a science project at his technology magnet school, and were designed to work as a motion sensor.

No word on whether the project actually senses motion or not, but it apparently works really well in detecting and exposing layer upon layer of stupidity, overreaction, and outright ineptitude within the one size fits all educational establishment.

Students were evacuated from Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School in the Chollas View neighborhood Friday afternoon after an 11-year-old student brought a personal science project that he had been making at home to school, authorities said.

Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said the student had been making the device in his home garage. A vice principal saw the student showing it to other students at school about 11:40 a.m. Friday and was concerned that it might be harmful, and San Diego police were notified.

The school, which has about 440 students in grades 6 to 8 and emphasizes technology skills, was initially put on lockdown while authorities responded.

Luque said the project was made of an empty half-liter Gatorade bottle with some wires and other electrical components attached. There was no substance inside.

When police and the Metro Arson Strike Team responded, they also found electrical components in the student's backpack, Luque said. After talking to the student, it was decided about 1 p.m. to evacuate the school as a precaution while the item was examined. Students were escorted to a nearby playing field, and parents were called and told they could come pick up their children.

No charges are going to be filed, no compensation will be demanded for expended services, and the child will not be suspended for his project.

Just for good measure, authorities rifled through the family's house to make certain nothing dangerous was there either.

The student will not be prosecuted, but authorities were recommending that he and his parents get counseling, the spokesman said. The student violated school policies, but there was no criminal intent, Luque said.

"There will be no (criminal) charges whatsoever," Luque said.

Police and fire officials also will not seek to recover costs associated with responding to the incident, the spokesman said.

What is the counseling for, to persuade the upset parents not to cause trouble over the district's stupidity?

If any money should be recovered by anyone it should be the taxpayers recouping some money from the idiots that evacuated a school and called out the Arson Strike Force because they didn't have the common sense to ask the kid what his project was about to begin with.

Is it too much to hope that some idiot bureaucrat educator loses a job over this?

h/t Overlawyered