A former Olympic athlete’s life has been “a living nightmare” since she says she accidentally failed to scan two items at a self-checkout machine — leading to her arrest and loss of her prestigious job as an NCAA Division 1 softball coach.
Meaggan Pettipiece, 48, was the head coach of the Valparaiso University softball team when she was scanning her groceries at a Walmart self-checkout machine in Indiana on March 28, according to the National Post.
The machine reportedly did not scan the asparagus and ham that Pettipiece meant to purchase.
Walmart security saw that she failed to scan the items — worth a total of $67 — prompting them to call the police despite her having paid $176 for her other groceries.
Pettipiece, who said she didn’t realize the machine did not read the items, was arrested.
During her arrest, police found she had three disposable vapes and two unopened blister packs containing the anti-nausea medication Zofran in her purse.
The former softball player — who played outfield for the Canadian national team in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games — was charged with theft, possession of marijuana, and possession of a controlled substance, the outlet reported.
Pettipiece resigned as head coach for the Valparaiso softball team on April 1 following a firestorm of headlines that swept through the Hoosier State after her arrest.
The Ontario native said the vapes did not contain nicotine or THC.
The anti-nausea pills belonged to an assistant coach, who asked Pettipiece to hold them in her purse during a softball game days before she was arrested.
“We both forgot about them,” the former All-American softball player told the outlet.
Earlier this month, Pettipiece’s attorney submitted an application for dismissal that included her account of the incident, proof of her assistant’s prescription, and character reference letters, according to the outlet.
After reading the application, justice officials dropped the charges against the former athlete on Sept. 19.
However, the damage caused by the incident “changed everything” for Pettipiece’s career.
“It is bittersweet,” she told National Post. “I’m happy, obviously, the charges were dismissed. The sad part is the damage it did to my career. It has changed everything in my life.”
Pettipiece said her resignation as head coach of the Division 1 softball program five months ago has been “a living nightmare.”
“I lost my career, I lost my job, the life I was building and it’s been really difficult,” Pettipiece said.
Along with her career derailment, the California University of Pennsylvania alumni said the damage to her reputation has been equally heartbreaking.
“The softball community is a tightknit group and it (the news) went through like wildfire,” Pettipiece told the outlet.
“You really do learn who the people are that really believe in you and trust you and are truly a friend for you,” Pettipiece said.
Pettipiece is now living in Ohio with her family.
“I’m happy my family’s all back together. We sacrificed as a family for me to be there coaching and continuing my coaching career,” she said.
Though the charges against her have been dismissed, she still fears the damage “can’t be reversed.”
“The tough thing is, how do you get out to people that you are innocent? And this damage was done for something so ridiculous,” Pettipiece told the outlet.
“I’m not sure of the future. For now, I’m going to stay at home and focus on my kids. I’d like to figure out which direction I’m going to go in.”
Really? They are going after her for $67. I have heard of people walking out with thousands of dollars of item because they were truly stealing. It’s very easy to miss something not scanning when you are FORCED to do your own checkout. I think they need to bring back the personal checkout people and do away with doing your own scanning. How many people steal bigger and more expensive items on a daily basis since they put this into effect. Let her go.
I shop at a few stores that have self Check out. I absolutely refuse to use any of them. I am not employed by that store, and the prices I’m paying should damn well be enough for that store to have a cashier check out my purchases. My Lowes now doesn’t even staff a cashier after a certain time trying to force self checkout. I tell them I want a cashier, because I refuse to self checkout. I’m a regular there, so now they open a register for me. At first they tried to not do that, so I flat out told them I have no problem going to a competitor who will, even if I pay higher prices there. Once I was simply told sorry, so I left my cart and walked out. Purchase would have been several hunded dollars in plumbing, elevtrical, and tile material for a bathroom remodel I was doing. Called store manager next day and told him what happened and offered to show my Home Depot receipt. Je apologized annd advised of “rdtraining” staff. He must have, because now when I guy in they will either open a cashier OR scan my stuff for me. Hit them where it hurts, this BS will stop.
I hate those self checkout bullshit I don’t do it often but when I do I call over someone to help me so if something is wrong I can blame them I don’t know what this lady bought but if she had that much I can see why she missed the other items because there is not a lot of room It is meant for like express checkout but I can understand if the lines are long and the usually are
She’s the wrong color…they would have arrested a Black person.