News Summary
A San Antonio teacher mistakenly served Hard Mountain Dew to students during an end-of-year celebration at Pease Middle School. Five students consumed the alcoholic beverages, raising concerns over safety protocols. One student fell ill, prompting a parental outcry for accountability and questioning of school policies. The Northside Independent School District is handling the incident internally, and experts warn about the risks of alcohol exposure to children. This alarming event highlights the need for stricter regulations regarding substance distribution in schools.
San Antonio – In a troubling incident at Pease Middle School, a teacher mistakenly distributed alcoholic beverages to students during an end-of-year celebration. The situation unfolded when a special education instructor brought seven cans of Hard Mountain Dew Baja Blast, a beverage with a 5% alcohol content, to the school and handed them out in three different classes.
Five students consumed the drinks, including a 7th-grader who experienced drowsiness and confusion afterwards. The student’s father, Aaron Corso, expressed concern regarding the delayed notification about the incident as he was not informed until 4:15 p.m. that day, several hours after the beverages were distributed around 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.
Corso’s son had unknowingly consumed nearly half of a pineapple-flavored can. Following the consumption, the combination of the beverage and cough medicine taken earlier may have contributed to the student’s symptoms. Although the school nurse attended to all five students after administrators were alerted around 2:30 p.m., there remain unanswered questions regarding the timing of communication with those affected.
While Corso’s son is reportedly doing fine now, he is advocating for accountability in light of the incident. He is particularly concerned about the disparity in rules, questioning why adults can bring alcohol onto school property while students are prohibited from bringing simple snacks such as cupcakes.
Efforts to file a police report were met with indications that the situation is being handled internally by the Northside Independent School District (NISD). The district has stated that a report will be submitted to Child Protective Services, but it remains unclear if any disciplinary action will be taken against the teacher involved.
Experts have warned that alcoholic beverages, especially those with appealing packaging and flavors similar to Hard Mountain Dew, pose significant risks for children. The National Capital Poison Center highlights that accidental consumption of alcohol can lead to severe health issues such as low blood sugar, confusion, seizures, and even coma.
If a child accidentally consumes alcohol, it is advised to contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for assistance.
This incident raises critical questions about safety protocols in schools regarding the distribution of substances and the responsibility of educators in ensuring the wellbeing of students. As the situation continues to unfold, NISD faces increased scrutiny regarding its policies and procedures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
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Additional Resources
- KENS 5 News
- News 4 San Antonio
- KSAT News
- KENS 5 News
- San Antonio Express-News
- Wikipedia: Alcohol and Youth
- Google Search: Alcohol Effects on Children
- Google Scholar: Alcohol Consumption in Children
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Alcohol
- Google News: School Alcohol Incidents
