Westport Elementary Students Got Sick After Eating Substance: Scarice

WESTPORT, CT — A group of Westport elementary school students ingested an undisclosed substance last week that appeared to be candy, but that made them ill, prompting a warning from Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice for families to be on the lookout.

Details of the incident were not disclosed, but it occurred on a school bus.

During a Monday night Board of Education meeting, Scarice said that as a public school system, occasionally "there are things that happen that are unfortunate."

However, he stopped short of describing what exactly happened due to federal privacy laws.

"It's incredibly important for families, particularly of our younger students, not to consume anything from an unknown source," Scarice said. "It may sound obvious to us, but they're children, and they need reminders."

He added that at Halloween, he shared a warning from the Westport Weston Health District that there was a dangerous, colorful version of fentanyl that was going around, which he referred to as "insidious."

On Tuesday, Scarice released a statement about the incident in a letter to families. See below.

At the meeting, parent Michelle Rabinowitz thanked Scarice for saying something publicly about the incident, but she said the district has not been fully transparent about what transpired.

She said that what the children ingested were drugs, and that they became "violently ill." Parents didn't know if the substance was fentanyl, THC or some other drug.

"This was a nightmare for the families involved, the children involved and for our community," Rabinowitz said. "We want to know what measures will take place to ensure that this never happens again."

Below is the full text of Scarice's letter to families:

Dear Westport Families,

Last week, there was a school-related incident in which students became ill after ingesting what appeared to be candy. This is a terrifying sign of the times and a traumatic experience for the students and families involved. Last night at the Board of Education meeting, I made a statement on this matter.

I am not at liberty to share additional information and details about this specific incident due to federal laws that protect student privacy. Additionally, I cannot compromise the outcomes of ongoing investigations regarding this issue. However, I can take this as an opportunity to advance parent education on this topic, and to implore those who care for children to be vigilant about candy, chocolate, and other foods that could contain substances that may pose a health and safety risk to our children.

On January 10, 2023, retail cannabis sales will become legal in Connecticut. As a result, we expect cannabis to be more accessible in the community, making the necessity of our awareness and vigilance even more important.

As members of the Westport Prevention Coalition, the Westport Public Schools is collaborating with community agencies to raise awareness about the risks associated with the legalization of cannabis and its potential impact on children and adolescents.

In light of this recent incident, I want to emphasize to families that it is especially important for those caring for our youngest students to remind their children not to consume candy, chocolate, or other food from unknown sources. Children could become very ill, sometimes with fatal consequences, from consuming foods containing drugs or other potentially harmful substances.
In addition, all families should remind their children of the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and that there can be serious school-related and criminal consequences for possessing, selling, or distributing drugs and alcohol on school grounds or at school-sponsored events. To be sure, the school district strictly prohibits the possession, sale, distribution, use, and consumption of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vapor products, and certain other substances on school grounds, on school buses, at school-sponsored activities, and at certain times outside of school. However, the reality is that these substances still exist in our community, and we must continue to educate our children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

This education must now include ensuring that our youngest children understand the importance of avoiding candy, chocolate, and other foods that they find at school, on a school bus, or somewhere else in the community, or that is offered to them by someone they do not know or do not know well.

Please click this link for additional information on this topic from the Westport Prevention Coalition and WPS Supervisor of Health Services, Sue Levasseur.

I encourage you to discuss this important topic with your children. To assist you in these conversations, I am attaching factsheets prepared by the Westport Prevention Coalition (www.westporttogether.org/prevention-coalition). More information on this important topic can be found at https://beintheknowct.org/parents/.

If you have any questions or would like support from school staff around this issue, please reach out to your child’s building principal who can share appropriate school resources.

Sincerely,
Thomas Scarice
Superintendent
Westport Public Schools