A student who argued that he was only freshening his breath to get the attention of a girl in his English class got a suspension instead.

Carter Loar, 17, a senior at Park View High School, was suspended for 10 days after pulling a small bottle of mouthwash from his jacket and swishing some between his teeth.

School officials explained that he had broken a rule that prohibited students from bringing to school any liquid containing alcohol. The youth has also been ordered to spend three days in a substance-abuse treatment program.

The boy's parents have appealed the suspension. "This is just crazy," said his mother, LeJuan Loar. "It's not like he took a gun to school. It was an oral hygiene product."