The Westmoreland County student who was suspended for sharing pieces of caffeinated chewing gum has been given a $1,000 scholarship by the gum maker.
Courtney Rupert, 12, of Lower Burrell, who finished sixth grade last week, was suspended for three days last month for taking Jolt gum to school and sharing it with another student.
The situation grabbed the attention of GumRunners, the New Jersey company that makes the gum.
Company officials held a news conference Friday at the Hilton Pittsburgh, Downtown, to announce they created a scholarship for Rupert.
They also said they believe the decision by school officials to suspend Rupert was, in the words of company co-founder Kevin Gass, "patently ludicrous."
The company will award a $1,000 scholarship each year to an individual who, in the view of corporate officials, receives an absurd punishment.
That scholarship, created in Rupert's honor, will be the "Jolt Gum Courtney Scholarship."
Rupert was not identified by school officials, but GumRunners officials went to her house and convinced the girl and her mother to make a public appearance.
Rupert's mother, Carrie Ramsey, said she initially didn't want to go public because she hoped the matter would die. When it became apparent that wouldn't happen, Ramsey decided that she and her daughter would come forward.
Gass said that bloggers across the globe have discussed the incident on the Internet.
The story was picked up by The Associated Press. The incident was fodder for the MSNBC cable news show "Countdown."
"I can't believe that this is all over a stick of gum," Ramsey said.
Ramsey said she thought the decision to suspend her daughter was too extreme.
Caffeine is a "rogue substance" at Huston Middle School. Burrell School District Superintendent Amy Palermo last week described the gum as "a stimulant that has no other redeeming quality."
A stick of Jolt gum, according to the manufacturer, has about the same amount of caffeine as two 12-ounce cans of Coke or a half-cup of coffee.
Palermo has said the decision to suspend Rupert was made because she shared the gum with another student.
Burrell School Board President Andy Kish said he won't criticize school officials' decision to suspend Rupert because new products are constantly being introduced, making it difficult to know what is dangerous.
Rupert, who wants to be a school teacher, said she's a good student and that she's never been in trouble before.
"I couldn't believe I got in trouble for it," she said. "I was shocked."
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