Remember those little colorful-water-filled-wiggly toys that you could always find in the prize selection at an arcade, or in souvenir shops on family trips? Well a 12-year-old girl in Wisconsin was suspended for three days just for making them.
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The principal at Trinity Lutheran School in Racine, Wisconsin, accused 12-year-old Frances Halbeck of selling “sex toys” after the middle schooler began making and selling what she called “water snake wigglies” with permission from her homeroom teacher.
Frances was inspired to make the stress-relieving toy after reading online about how the popular toy’s soothing effect has greatly benefited autistic children.
“It just calms you when you touch it,” Frances explained to local news. “You squeeze it, it’s cold, and it’s hard to hold sometimes.”
Not only did the principal scold the girl for selling sex toys, but it was done in a completely appalling manner—pulling Frances out of an after-school basketball game, and making the humiliating accusations in front of many of the girl’s classmates.
“It was really, really loud and a lot of people could hear it. People were staring at me,” Frances said. “I started crying.”
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Upon hearing what happened with his daughter’s principal, Frances’ father, Milt Halbeck, was completely outraged saying, “In your wildest imaginations, no adult could possibly view this as a sex toy. This is a water-filled bag.”
He reached out to the school to discuss the absurdity surrounding his daughter’s suspension, but the board supported the principal’s views and decision.
My prayer is that no 12-year-old would ever know what a sex toy is, let alone how to construct something of the nature. Frances feels the same way, recognizing that she feels way too young for such an adult-heavy misunderstanding saying:
“I just learned something that I shouldn’t have.”
Now there’s a young woman who’s wise beyond her years. Maybe the principal and school board should take notes.
See more from Frances’ story in the interview below:
