Two Texas elementary school teachers have been accused of giving children “special stickers” that act as sleeping supplements.
The Northgate Crossing Elementary School teachers, who have not been named, have been put on administrative leave while the Spring Independent School District’s police department investigates the accusations, according to a statement given to local news outlet ABC13 by the district.
One parent, Lisa Luviano, told the outlet that she initially filed a report after her daughter brought back what she described as a “sleeping sticker” from school, saying she is often given them by her teacher at nap time.
Chairs are on top of tables in an elementary school classroom in Lower Saxony, Bad Zwischenahn, photographed on February 23, 2022. Two elementary school teachers in Texas have been accused of giving their students sleep supplements.
Hauke-Christian Dittrich/Associated Press
Luviano told KHOU she did some research online, and believes that they were melatonin patches being sold on Amazon.
Luviano said she went with other parents to speak to the school.
She told ABC13, “We brought the evidence up there, and we filed a report. We did say we wanted to file criminal charges if this is something that is true.”
Luviano said that after she notified the school she sent out a mass text to inform other parents, as she didn’t believe the school had done so.
Another parent, Najla Abdullah, reportedly called the school and notified Child Protective Services.
Luviano said the parents “want answers.”
She added, “Who is guilty for this? Who had been doing this to our kids? Because they are not telling what the side effects are in the long run.”
Newsweek reached out to Spring ISD, the assistant principal at Northgate Crossing Elementary School, and the Spring ISD police department for comment via email outside of business hours.
Spring ISD, said in a statement to ABC13: “Spring ISD is aware of allegations that two staff members at Northgate Crossing Elementary School allegedly administered sleeping supplements to students on Sept. 24.”
It continues, “These staff members were immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation by the Spring ISD Police Department. The district takes every allegation of educator misconduct seriously and will take all necessary measures to ensure that our students are educated in a safe and nurturing environment.”
Spring ISD sent another statement to KHOU, and specified that the incident violates Board Policy FFA, which states that “No employee shall give any student prescription medication, nonprescription medication, herbal substances, anabolic steroids, or dietary supplements of any type, except as authorized by this or other District policy.”
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