"No redeeming qualities"

It's not often that you find a school district willing to flat-out say that something has no good qualities and it's pure crap. Schools are generally required, by the nature of their business, to be ego-boosters in addition to educators. But, then there's this:

LOWER BURRELL, Pa. -- A middle school student was suspended for three days for sharing chewing gum because it contained caffeine, school officials said.

The girl, whose name and age were not released, gave another Huston Middle School student Jolt gum. The gum is "a stimulant that has no other redeeming quality," said Amy Palermo, schools superintendent.

What? Okay, say students aren't allowed to have gum, fine. What if this girl brought in a thermos of coffee? Of tea? What if someone brought a can of Red Bull with their lunch?

And I'd love to know what Huston Middle School's policy on drugs such as Ritalin are.