By Matthew Dailey

A 12 year-old boy from Aurora, Illinois was charged with a felony for possessing a look-alike drug. The boy brought powdered sugar into school and asked his teacher if he could conduct an experiment using sugar, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

While the boy was in the bathroom, he joked to two of his classmates that it was cocaine, but then said, "just kidding." A janitor reported the boy to school officials after overhearing the boy's comments. 

East Aurora School District officials called police shortly after and the sixth grader was arrested by Aurora police. He was detained at the police station and then released to the custody of his parents that same afternoon.

 School district officials defended their actions saying the school handbook states that students can be suspended or expelled for carrying a look-alike drug. In a written statement, school district officals said, "The dangers of illegal drugs and controlled substances are clear. Look-alike drugs and substances can cause that same level of danger because staff and students are not equipped to differentiate between the two."

The 12 year-old boy's mother was outraged at how the school district handled the situation. She told the Chicago Sun-Times, "This is getting ridiculous. They treated my son like a criminal…This is no way to treat a 12-year old kid."

Jeffery Jefko, deputy director of Kane County juvenile court services, stated that penalities for juveniles are decided on a case-by-case basis, but if convicted, the sixth grader could likely face up to five years' probation.