A Virginia middle schooler was hit with a 364-day suspension and juvenile court charges after he allegedly told classmates that he had a leaf — yes, a single leaf — of marijuana. Months after this contraband, paired with a lighter, was discovered in the 11-year-old's backpack, multiple rounds of testing on the leaf revealed it was not actually pot. Oops?
The ordeal has reportedly caused the boy, who maintains he did not put the leaf in his bag, to suffer from panic attacks and depression. He is worried he will never be able to go to college or get a job.
The child's parents are suing the local sheriff's department and school district, the latter of which still refuses to admit fault. "The field test [on the leaf] came back not inconclusive, but negative," The family's lawyer said. "Yet [a school administrator] went to a magistrate and swore he possessed marijuana at school."
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