A former Olympian has spoken out about how her life was destroyed after forgetting to scan asparagus and ham at a Walmart self-checkout machine.
Canadian athlete Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested on March 28 in Indiana for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.
The charges were dropped, but Pettipiece lost his prestigious job as a result and says his career and reputation were ruined.
Her downfall began after Walmart security reported that the U.S. college softball coach had failed to scan a couple of food items during a grocery run at a self-checkout machine.
Police searched Pettipiece and found three disposable vapes in her purse, along with two unopened blister packs containing Zofran, an anti-nausea medication.
Charges against the Blenheim, Ontario, athlete were dropped on Sept. 19, but she said the incident “changed everything.”
Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested in Indiana for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance, but the charges have since been dropped.
“It’s bittersweet,” Pettipiece said. National Post Office-I’m happy, obviously the charges were dismissed.
“The sad thing is the damage it did to my career. It changed everything in my life.
“It’s been five months, a nightmare. I lost my career, I lost my job, the life I was building and it’s been really difficult.”
Pettipiece resigned as head coach of the NCAA Division 1 softball team at Valparaiso University in Indiana shortly after the Walmart incident.
Police stopped the softball coach at the supermarket and discovered that $67 worth of items, including asparagus and ham, had not been scanned.
She paid for other items worth $167, according to local news reports in March.
It was during Pettipiece’s arrest and subsequent search that police discovered the vapes and anti-nausea medications.
“It was so ridiculous,” Pettipiece said, adding that he hadn’t realized the self-checkout scanner hadn’t read some of the items.
The former athlete added that the vapes did not contain nicotine or THC and that the pills were a prescription belonging to an assistant coach who asked her to look after them when they were heading to a softball game.
“We both forgot about them,” he said.
The Valparaiso Beacons softball team confirmed that Pettipiece resigned on April 1.
Canadian athlete Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was arrested on March 28 in Indiana for theft, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance, but the charges have since been dropped.
Charges against the Blenheim, Ontario, athlete were dropped on Sept. 19, but she said the incident “changed everything in my life.”
“The softball community is a very tight-knit group and (the news) spread like wildfire,” Pettipiece told the National Post.
“You really learn who the people are that truly believe in you, trust you, and are truly your friends.”
Following his arrest, court proceedings were delayed until his lawyer’s motion for dismissal was approved.
The judges reviewed Pettipiece’s account of the incident, proof of his assistant’s prescription and personal reference letters before making their decision.
Pettipiece played softball for Canada at the 2000 Sydney Games and was an alternate on the 2004 Olympic team.