Leonard DiCaprio earned some flack for living his best life and vaping during the Golden Globes ceremony but at least the Oscar winner (finally) was among other adults. The same can’t be said for the voice actress behind the children’s educational series Dora the Explorer, who was caught with the water-based substance at the celeb-friendly Avenues The World School.
15-year-old Fatima Ptacek was suspended for three days while her friend, a 14-year-old, was outright expelled and another left unpunished, the New York Daily Newsreports. Ptacek allegedly convinced her younger friend to vape on caramel flavored water before being ratted out by a senior at the school.
The expelled girl’s parents are now suing the school and with good reason—tuition costs about $40,000 a year. They claim the institution is violating their own policy by forcing their daughter, who is identified as M.S., to pull out and that they dished out harsher punishment since she’s not a celebrity. The suit also alleges that she and Ptacek were "overwhelmed by fear" which is why they initially denied the Dec. 10 incident.
The suit went on to claim that their daughter gave in to peer pressure in an effort to seem cool to Ptacek "because she is older than M.S. and is a celebrity, being the actress who does the voice of Dora the Explorer on television and having a movie nominated for the Oscars."
It would appear being a celeb, even a minor one, has its benefits. Both parents are seeking an unspecified amount of money in damages, as well as a reversal on the expulsion. As for the school, they’re remaining tight-lipped on the situation.
"Matters involving litigation and disciplining of students are private and confidential," school spokesman Bruce Bobbins said.
