AnonymousTeacher@yahoo.com wrote:

Dear Rabbi,

I am a teacher in the [withheld] school system, and I have a rule in my class that my students may not eat. If I do catch a student eating, may I take away the foodwithout returning it, or is this stealing?

Dear Anonymous Teacher,

Best would be to obtain permission from the parents for food confiscation. Otherwise, it would be an improper punishment. To punish with food confiscation, without such explicit permission, is a negative means to train a student.

Sources:

• Igrot Moshe II, 103