A high school student in a small Minnesota town was expelled from school last week because officials found a pocket knife in her purse.

17-year-old Alyssa Drescher says she was subjected to a random check after police dogs mistook the odor of her perfume for drugs.

“They smelled perfume, and they had to check my purse and they found my pocket knife,” said Drescher.

When police opened her locker and searched her purse, they immediately noticed the pocket knife. Drescher says she had been doing work on her boyfriend’s farm and forgot that she put the knife in her purse.

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“It was a mistake,” said the promising young student. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

Drescher is a junior at United South Central in Wells, Minnesota, and the principal of the school initially suspended her for only three days. The incident quickly escalated, however, when the superintendent contacted her family and handed down a 12-month expulsion.

“Honestly, you can’t ask for a better kid and a better student,” said Rick Drescher, Alyssa’s father.

Last week, Drescher stood before a school board among an army of supporters and pleaded her case, but the school board voted unanimously to expel her for the rest of the year.

“I don’t want to get expelled. I’m a good kid,” said Drescher to WCCO-TV. “I just thought it was too harsh of punishment.”

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Drescher isn’t the only one that thinks expulsion is over the top. A Facebook page was started to support the teenager and fight back against the school’s zero tolerance policy, and so far, almost 2,800 people have liked it.

“Alyssa's family will not give up and will continue to fight, not only for Alyssa but for all kids.... Thank you to everyone for your support!” wrote the page’s administrator last week.

Drescher’s family reportedly has a lawyer and is planning to appeal the decision.

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