Girl: Cough drops led to drug allegations

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla., Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A Florida father said his daughter was accused of selling drugs at school after she shared some Halls Defense Vitamin C cough drops with friends.

Andy Rivenbark said his daughter, Khalin Rivenbark, 9, told him a teacher at her Clay County school had accused her of selling drugs when her friends offered her money in exchange for the Halls, which contain ingredients nearly identical to Lifesavers candy, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville, Fla., reported Tuesday.

"She saw me with the cough drops out and I guess she saw me give it to one of my friends, and then like, 'Oh, I see this good business going on around you,'" Khalin said. "She said, 'You're selling drugs.' (I said) 'No I'm not.'"

Khalin said she wanted to give her two friends the cough drops for free, but one insisted on giving her a dollar.

"She felt guilty taking the cough drop or whatever, so she gave me a dollar. I didn't want to accept it, but she had me take it," Khalin said.

The student said she is scheduled to meet with her principal and teacher about the incident Wednesday. However, Andy Rivenbark said he also plans to have words with the administrators.

"It's absolutely crazy," he said. "It's definitely detrimental to somebody who we teach the whole time growing up, 'Don't use drugs because drugs are bad.' To accuse her, it's unnecessary to make a comment like that."