Florida Teen Arrested, Expelled And Being Tried As An Adult For A Science Experiment Gone Wrong [VIDEO]

When your young you do dumb things and tend not to think about the repercussions. Most of the time, you make your mistakes and learn from them. However a 16-year old Florida teen was doing the right thing, when her science experiment went wrong and now her life and freedom are at stake.

Florida teen Kiera Wilmot has learned the hard way that mixing household chemicals in a bottle for a science experiment at school, is a very bad idea.  Kiera Wilmot is not the type of kid you expect to be facing felony charges. By most accounts, the 16-year-old from Bartow, Fla., is well-liked by teachers and fellow students. "A good kid," her principal said. Bartow High School Principal Ronald Pritchard said Kiera was a very good student and that he didn't think the youngster meant to harm anyone.  The principal said he feels the teen was simply conducting an experiment and it went wrong.

According to reports, the top popped of the bottle and vapors of the chemicals began to seep out of the bottle.  That's about it.  Other than being in shock by the results of the chemical reaction, Kiera nor anyone else was injured and their was no damage to the school.  However, the young girl has not only been arrested, but the principal has been forced to expelled her and now she's is going to be tried as an adult.

Miami New Times reports:

On 7 a.m. on Monday, the 16 year-old mixed some common household chemicals in a small 8 oz water bottle on the grounds of Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida. The reaction caused a small explosion that caused the top to pop up and produced some smoke. No one was hurt and no damage was caused.
Wilmot told police that she was merely conducting a science experiment. Though her teachers knew nothing of the specific project, her principal seems to agree.
“She made a bad choice. Honestly, I don’t think she meant to ever hurt anyone,” principal Ron Pritchard told the station. “She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked, too.”
After the explosion Wilmot was taken into custody by a school resources officer and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school grounds and discharging a destructive device. She will be tried as an adult.

Do you think the legal action being taken against the young girl are warranted or do you think this is going overboard?   Some people feel that the punishment is to extreme and support for the teen is growing by the day.  The Polk County Superintendent is pushing the issue and is responsible for the strict school policy that is going to destroy this young girl’s life.  How do you feel?  Does the punishment fit or not.  Leave a comment and let us know.

Polk County School released the following statement in regard to the situation:

“Anytime a student makes a bad choice it is disappointing to us. Unfortunately, the incident that occurred at Bartow High School yesterday was a serious breach of conduct. In order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment, we simply must uphold our code of conduct rules. We urge our parents to join us in conveying the message that there are consequences to actions. We will not compromise the safety and security of our students and staff.”

If you would like to help Kiera Wilmot contact any of the people below and let your voice be heard:

Bartow High School Principal Ronald Pritchard

Address: 1270 S Broadway Ave  Bartow, FL 33830  / EMAIL:  Ronald.Pritchard@polk-fl.net   PHONE:(863)- 534-7400  Fax: (863)534-0077
Polk County Superintendent: Dr. John Stewart

Address: 1915 South Floral Avenue, Bartow, FL 33831 Phone: (863) 534-0521 Fax: (863) 519-8231
Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Ctr
ADDRESS: 2155 Bob Phillips Road, Bartow, FL 33830
TEL: 863-534-7090
FAX: 863-534-7024
 EMAIL:
pio@polksheriff.org