Boyfriend and girlfriend, 15-year-olds Brandon Kizi and Andra Ferguson are both asthma sufferers and both students at Caney Creek High School. At least, they were, until Andra began suffering an asthma attack at school.

"I couldn't breathe, and I was just very short of breath," recalled Andra. "My chest was tightened up and it was hurting."

Brandon described the incident. "Her face was turning a little reddish-pink and she looked pale, as far as I could see. I loaned her my inhaler. I walked her to the nurse's office and loaned her my inhaler."

That's when the trouble started. The school nurse called the school police, who arrested Brandon. They charged him with a felony, namely distributing a dangerous drug for loaning out his prescription inhaler. Andra's mother thinks that's wrong.

"His (inhaler) is the very same thing. And he has had my permission to give her that medication any time she forgets it," said Sandra Ferguson.

But school officials say that Brandon had been warned about loaning his inhaler, and that new state laws mean their hands are tied when it comes to zero tolerance and drugs.

Principal Greg Poole told Eyewitness News, "It's hard, it's difficult. We certainly don't look forward to expelling any kid. But then you have to consider a kid takes the medication and has an allergic reaction, and then we have to deal with that issue. So, yes, there is no discretion at this stage."

Brandon now faces mandatory expulsion from school and criminal charges in juvenile court. His mother is outraged.

Theresa Hock said, "It's so unfair. My son was helping her out. And now he's facing criminal charges. Would they rather have had her die than my son to help her?"

Brandon has a hearing on Friday to determine how long he'll be expelled for. In addition, he still has to go to juvenile court to deal with that felony charge.
(Copyright © 2003, KTRK-TV)

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