New Jersey Students Punished for Penny Payments

Feb 29, 4:40 PM (ET) READINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP)

Readington Township school officials gave 29 students detention after they used pennies to pay for their $2 lunches.

Schiff said the students were punished for holding up their peers and disrespecting lunch aides.

Schiff said some parents think a two-day detention went too far and others think it wasn't enough.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080229/D8V47P0O2.html

I heared somebody talking about this and heard them say that the school decided that their punishment was too harsh.

I think that by law, the students would have a case...being that the cent is still US Legal tender. They should be able to buy lunch every day using pennies, because its the law and they have to accept that...whether its a protest or not. Trust me, when it comes down to it...They will take their money.

Pennies are legal tender.

In the UK pennies are only legal tender up to the value of 20p. Any more than 20 and the recipient has the right to refuse them. Though really in a store transaction the merchant has the right to refuse any form or payment.

Wasn't something said or decided several years ago that in the US that businesses are not required to accept more than 25 cents at a time for a transaction?
corky