A South Milwaukee Middle School student has a date in Children's Court, accused of giving THC-laced candy to classmates
A middle school girl has been ordered to appear in Children's Court in December on six counts of delivery of a controlled substance after several students at South Milwaukee Middle School ate candy with THC.
Parents were alerted that "several students" ate the candy at school on Nov. 6, according to a letter sent to parents.
THC is the "major psychoactive component" in marijuana, according to the National Library of Medicine.
In his letter, South Milwaukee Middle School principal Jim Hendrickson said the students who ingested the candies reported receiving them from a classmate. He said all families of the students involved in the incident were contacted.
"Given the number of students involved, I felt it was important to communicate to all families/guardians that both taking illegal substances while at school and distributing them are very serious offenses. The actions can include both school and legal consequences that include citations, suspensions, and consideration for expulsion from school," Hendrickson said in his letter. He did not specify how many students were involved and did not respond to a reporter's questions seeking more information.
It is unclear whether disciplinary action was taken against any of the students, but the South Milwaukee Police Department is investigating, according to police Capt. Chad Milow.
Milow said at least one student was being referred to Children's Court. "We are still interviewing students to find out if any additional students will be referred to Children’s Court," he added.
While he was unable to provide names or ages of those involved, he noted that the investigation pertains solely to South Milwaukee Middle School.
Increase in illegal substances seen at South Milwaukee Middle School
Hendrickson also said in his letter that the school has "seen an increase in illegal substances including vapes at school and on school premises."
The problem is happening especially in school bathrooms during passing periods, he noted. This may lead the school to limit the number of bathrooms students have access to during the school day, or to change the way passing periods are handled, he said.
Hendrickson also said the school is providing resources to help parents identify and treat alcohol, nicotine and drug-related issues in teenagers. He encouraged parents to contact the school if they need help.
Hendrickson did not respond to phone and email messages asking questions about the incident.
South Milwaukee School District Communications Coordinator Dan Bader said the district would not share anything beyond what was already stated in the letter.
Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: South Milwaukee Middle School students ate THC candies
