A New York high school senior was suspended for bringing a cup of coffee into class on the first day of school, an incident that has raised questions about the school district's policy-making process and transparency.
Julie Kaputa, a student at Beaver River Central School in Castorland, New York, was confronted by a teacher on September 3 and told she needed to either discard her coffee or go to the principal's office. She received an in-school suspension for allegedly violating the school's Code of Conduct, which aims to "create a safe, instruction-focused environment for all students."
Kaputa and her mother, Mary Anne Kaputa, argued that the school district adopted the new policy regarding outside food and drink illegally, as no public hearing was held when the school board met in August. The policy, which states that "Students arriving with drinks or food will be asked to finish them before entering school," was included in the district's 2026-2027 Standards for Community-Wide Conduct.
According to Mary Anne Kaputa, meeting minutes from July and August where the code might have been discussed were not published to the school's website until she pointed out the omission. She also stated that the district office had no record of a public hearing being conducted for the policy change.
"I am certain that the school can not enforce a substantial change to the code of conduct without a public hearing," the mother wrote on Facebook, questioning if other parents had seen any public notification. Kaputa told WTVM that transparency in government is important to her, adding that the suspension would not remain on her record.
Following the incident and discussions with school officials, Kaputa was allowed to return to class with her coffee. The school board is scheduled to reconvene and hold a public hearing on the new outside food and drink policy, inviting student input for revisions.
"They will be holding a public hearing at the next board meeting and asking several students to have input into rewriting this section of the code to address both the administrator and student concerns," Mary Anne Kaputa said. The policy change affects middle and high school students, with the stated aim of minimizing distractions, protecting students with food allergies, and promoting a calm school experience.