Student charged with larceny over milk carton
Virginia 14-year-old was given harsher discipline because he’s black, his lawyer says
All Ryan Turk wanted was his carton of milk.
The Virginia teenager says he had forgotten to grab the drink the first time through the line at the Graham Park Middle School cafeteria, so he headed back. A recipient of free lunches at the school, Ryan felt he was just doing what he did every day.
But a school resource officer said he spotted the teen cutting in line and accused him of stealing the 65-cent milk.
When Ryan didn’t co-operate with a trip to see the principal, authorities say, he was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and petit larceny.
Ryan turned down an offer of nonjudicial punishment and, this week, a Prince William County judge set a trial date in November for the Dumfries teen, who is now a freshman in high school.
He will face the criminal charges just days after his 15th birthday.
Ryan and his mother, Shamise Turk, acknowledge that he did take a carton of milk on that day last school year, but they say he was entitled to it and did nothing wrong. They, and their lawyer, allege that Ryan was discriminated against, targeted because he is a black teenager who didn’t want to go along with a police officer who they believe was being unfair.
“No one needs to be punished for stealing a 65-cent carton of milk,” said Emmett Robinson, a lawyer who is representing the family and said Ryan’s arrest was related to institutional racism. “This officer treats kids like they’re criminals, and guess what happens — they’re going to become criminals.”
The case of the allegedly stolen milk is an example of the challenges students, schools and school resource officers face when it comes to the issue of discipline, especially when it involves students who are minorities and living in poverty.
Studies show that black students are subject to more frequent — and harsher — discipline than their peers, and that biases against them begin as early as pre-kindergarten classes.
Black students in Richmond, Va., recently filed a civil-rights complaint against their school district, alleging that discipline practices there are unfair.
Ryan is black and is eligible for free lunches in Prince William County. The officer and the principal involved also are black, something the county noted in responding to the claims that the student was targeted by race.
Phil Kavits, a Prince William County schools spokesman, said he could not comment on the specifics of the incident, but he said it is not a racerelated issue.
“All the key parties involved, including the principal and the police officer, are African American,” Kavits said in a statement. “The staff members are well-known in our highly diverse community for their dedication and caring approach to all students.”
Robinson said the race of the people involved does not matter, racial profiling can come from anyone.