I do think there may be a prank involved in this story.
Fraternities will have pledges take things. It’s very rare for it to be something stupid like socks. I’ve never heard it even be similar to that. A trophy from a rival fraternity? Something from the football field? A sorority composite? Yes, all things I’ve heard. Everything has a purpose, usually it’s stupid, it also wouldn’t just be one pledge. It’s all or none, All the pledges would have been made to steal the socks. This does not sound like a fraternity thing to me. Fraternities can be dumb, but not dumb enough to do something that would get a pledge caught so easily.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a fraternity involved. It’s theft.
I think it’s a prank. He needs a lawyer. This can affect future employment.
I heard of a marching band member who was hazed into stealing one of the $240 iconic UW-Madison sunburst chairs (see my avatar). This past year, 250 of the 1000 chairs were stolen.
Considering that the student is 17, I doubt that it is a frat prank. It’s also quite common for shoplifters to steal low value items, even when the potential penalties far outweigh the benefit. For example, the article at http://www.economist.com/node/13832435 mentions that a man was sentenced to life in prison for shoplifting an ordinary $2.50 pair of socks, under the 3 California strikes law (law has since been modified). He should have been aware that he was on his 3rd strike and risking high penalties, yet he still decided to shoplift a pair of socks while waiting for his girlfriend at the mall.
Wonder if the OP will ever post again?
I too would like to know more facts and the outcome; perhaps OP is busy trying to deal with the whole mess right now.
I wonder if the original post is legit–as thumper1 observed, OP has not returned to clarify any speculations.
This is what I meant in post # 40.
maybe the attorney told mom not to post any more on CC
@mom2collegekids Yea, that sounds pretty likely. I could see the wisdom in telling a client to stop saying anything publicly for fear of saying something that undermines the defense.
Just for future reference on people thinking this HAD to be a prank…not necessarily. As bizarre as it seems I knew a professional who made a lot of money…caught shoplifting toothpaste and toilet paper. Boggles the brain but it happens.
^^^Yes because it’s often not about not being able to afford the items. It’s a sickness.
This is why it’s important to teach your kids: Get all of the “stealing” out of your system BEFORE you get to college.
Always teach your kids before it’s too late. Now it’s too late.
Wow!
Just wow!
I wish teaching were all that is needed to ensure good behavior. We’d all have angel children then!
All children are born “good”. It’s the socks and the paper that make them bad.
Boycott socks and paper.