Hampton 5th grader brings mushroom candy to school
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) – The Hampton Police Division is investigating an incident involving a 5th grader bringing psilocybin-infused mushroom candy to school.
According to officials, a 5th-grade student at George P. Phenix PreK-8 School brought in psilocybin-infused candies, known as “Mr. Mushies,” to school on Feb. 14 and 15 to share with several classmates.
Parents told us Tuesday afternoon about their concerns.
Cleopatra Myers is the parent of a fifth grader. “I thought that was very scary to see that someone brought that to school to share with their friends.”
Antonia Reid’s child is in seventh grade at Phenix. “It’s scary cause you’re talking about little kids,” she said. “They don’t know any better. Little kids share candies.”
The National Drug Intelligence Center defines psilocybin as “a hallucinogenic substance obtained from certain types of mushrooms.” The most common names for Psilocybin are magic mushroom, mushroom, and shrooms.
At around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, a parent contacted a teacher at the school regarding the incident, resulting in an immediate investigation.
On Friday, Feb. 16, ten students who received the candy were identified, with four confirmed to have consumed the candy.
Courtney Johnson manages Smokerz Crib on Jefferson Ave. in Newport News. She carries mushroom gummies but says she can’t sell to anyone under 21.
That doesn’t mean people don’t try.
“I get high-schoolers in here quite a lot. They are very quickly redirected,” Johnson said and gestures toward the store exit.
The school, as well as directly contacting the parents or guardians of all students directly involved, released a statement on the incident.
Good afternoon, this is Robin Hunt-Crenshaw, the principal of Phenix PreK-8 School. To prevent any potential spread of misinformation, I feel it is important that I share factual details with you regarding a situation that occurred at our school.
One of our fifth grade students brought psilocybin-infused candy to school and shared it with a few classmates. The candy is known as Mr. Mushies. Administration has addressed the matter as well as worked in collaboration with our school resource officer. Please know that the students who received the candy have been identified and their parents have been personally contacted.
As you are most likely aware, items like these are not tolerated on school property. I am unable to provide details about student discipline, but please know that the student is being disciplined according to the HCS Student’s Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
We kindly request all parents and guardians take this opportunity to engage in a conversation with your child, reviewing together the items that are deemed appropriate and inappropriate for school. It’s essential to emphasize the serious repercussions of bringing prohibited items. Furthermore, we believe it’s crucial to stress to your child the importance of refraining from accepting or consuming items whose contents they are unfamiliar with, to include items that look like candy.
Safety is always our top priority at Phenix. We thank you for your continued support as we work together to provide a safe learning environment for all students and staff. Thank you.
Robin Hunt-Crenshaw
Officials are able to confirm that the student involved has been identified and is being disciplined in accordance with the HCS Student’s Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
All legal actions in this case are being handled by the Hampton Police Division.
Check with WAVY.com for updates.
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