For 16-year old Florida native Kiera Wilmot, the past thirty days began and concluded with a bang. Kiera, a student at Bartow High School made national headlines. Fantastic? Not exactly.
An honors student and cello player, Kiera has always been fascinated with science, one day hoping to study robotics. She was so fascinated that she created a science fair project using household products. According to Black America Web:
On the morning of Monday, April 20, Wilmot mixed some household chemicals inside of an 8 oz. bottle of water [on school property]. The top flew off the bottle and a cloud of smoke erupted.
Fortunately, no damages or injuries were reported. Charges, however, were filed against Kiera.
Why?
USA TODAY reports:
“The chemical reaction caused a firecracker-like ‘pop’ and some smoke, which the principal heard and saw…After school officials determined her science teacher did not know about her experiment, the police were called and they charged her with possession and discharge of a weapon on school grounds and with discharging a destructive device.”
These charges are classified as felonies. Felonies. Meaning Kiera would be tried as an adult. Charging her in this manner, as an adult with two felonies, was the directive of Assistant State Prosecutor Tammy Glotfelty. In a few fleeting moments and the stroke of a pen, Kiera, a student with no history of behavioral issues, was soon expelled. She was lead out of the school in handcuffs and taken to a juvenile detention center to face a criminal record that would follow her indefinitely. Such actions appeared desperate, drastic and unreasonable. In addition to her classmates coming to her defense, the high school’s principal also vouched for her character. So why the harsh treatment?
“Wilmot’s school principal, Ron Pritchard, defended the student in an interview with local news outlet The Ledger. He noted that Wilmot did not leave the premises after the explosion. ‘She left it [the bottle] on the ground, and she stayed there,’ Pritchard said. ‘We went over to where she was. She saw that we saw her, so she didn’t take off.’”
‘She didn’t take off.’ In other words, Kiera stayed and accepted responsibility. Does that sound like the actions of a felon? The bigger question is, why did the Assistant State Prosecutor see fit to charge an honors student with two felonies after a science project gone wrong and yet three days later drop all charges against a 13-year-old boy (Taylor Richardson, a white student) who accidentally killed his younger brother with a BB gun? Glotfelty’s reasoning? According to a letter written by Glotfelty to the Polk County Sheriff Department:
“‘Our office has considered this case, keeping in mind that (Taylor) is 13 years of age and is a student at Roosevelt Academy.
“After a thorough review of the facts, available to our office at this time, it is our opinion that this case can only be seen as a tragic accident…’”
After a thorough review of the facts…thorough review indeed. The case sat in Glotfelty’s lap for over a month before she rendered a decision. Sadly, Kiera wasn’t as fortunate. After the police were summoned to the school, according to the police report, officer Gregory Rhoden called Glotfelty via telephone for instructions. The school report was not emailed or faxed for Glotfelty’s perusal and she did not interview Kiera and ascertain her point of view regarding the event that transpired. Glotfelty, without even reviewing the case, gave Officer Rhoden instructions as to how to handle the incident in minutes over the telephone. No, Kiera is not as fortunate as Taylor Richardson.
While both cases were obviously life altering accidents, why was a case that involved the loss of life given more leniency? Wouldn’t the taking of a life, albeit accidentally, call for punishment of some kind vs. a science project gone wrong resulting in zero fatalities?
The public thought so. Not only did the Florida community rally around Kiera but so did the nation. Kiera’s story has been discussed around water coolers and dinner tables, YouTube’d, blogged and even petitioned. The result is bittersweet. In exchange for dropping the charges, Kiera was offered a “diversion of prosecution.”
Per an official statement released from the State Attorney’s office:
“Based upon the facts and circumstances of the case, the lack of criminal history of the child involved, and the action taken by the Polk County School Board, the State Attorney’s Office extended an offer of diversion of prosecution to the child. The child and her guardian signed the agreement to successfully complete the Department of Juvenile Justice Diversion Program.
“The pending case has been dismissed. No formal charges will be filed.
“Additionally, Kiera was suspended for 10 days from school and had to complete this year at an alternate school. The school district says they will take the state attorney’s actions into consideration when deciding if Wilmot can return to school.”
I’m still left asking questions: Did the final penalties against Kiera really fit the crime? How can Glotfelty justify the disparity (applied between Kiera & Taylor’s cases) and ineffective investigation of Kiera’s case? Had Kiera also been white would she have received the same edict?
Believe it or not, there is a silver lining in this story.
A man following Kiera’s story was very sympathetic about her plight. Why? The police had been called on him due to a science experiment in his younger days! The young man, Homer Hickam, grew up to become a NASA engineer then an author whose memoir, Rocket Boys: A Memoir was turned into the movie October Sky. To reinforce Kiera’s love of science, Hickam granted Kiera a scholarship to attend the United States Advanced Space Academy (ASA) in Huntsville, Alabama. What a grand gesture!
While Kiera has a long way to go in putting this situation behind her, we have complete confidence the next time she’s in the news it will be a story of a positive nature.
Read Kiera’s first-hand account of the science project turned fiasco here.