Two instructors have been suspended from a Texas elementary school for allegedly providing pupils special “stickers” to induce sleep.
The event occurred on September 24, according to the Spring Independent School District, and the instructors involved were “immediately removed from the classroom,” pending a police investigation.
“Northgate Elementary administration was notified by a parent that their child was given a sleeping aid patch in the classroom by their teacher,” a statement shared with The Independent stated.
“Upon learning of the allegation the teachers in that classroom were immediately removed and placed on administrative leave.” The district also stated that “as a precautionary measure,” two paraprofessionals in the classroom were placed on administrative leave.
“The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we take every allegation of misconduct seriously,” according to a statement.
However, outraged parents at the school believe they were only formally alerted about the investigation two weeks after the alleged incident took place.
Lisa Luviano told ABC Houston that her daughter came home from school and showed her a “sticker” with images of the moon, stars, and clouds on it.
“She said, ‘It is a sleeping sticker,'” she explained to the magazine. “I asked ‘Where did you get this?'” And she explained, “My teacher gave it to me for sleeping time.”The next day, we went to school. We hauled the evidence up there and filed a report. We stated that if this is true, we intend to press criminal proceedings.
Luviano stated that she had texted other parents at the school about the event. Najla Abdullah asked her four-year-old son if he had also received a sticker.
“He replied, ‘Yes, Mommy. Abdullah told ABC, “I get a special sticker.” “I asked ‘What does it look like?'” He stated, “I have it right here on my hand, and it has the storms with the clouds, the stars, and the moon.”
Both parents reported that their children had difficulty sleeping after returning home from school.
The SISD has not identified the teachers involved but has stated that the suspected activity violates its Board Policy FFAC.
According to the regulation, “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.”
Parents are now asking how long the purported distribution of sleeping stickers lasted and whether their children received anything else.
“This teacher broke my trust. “We opened our hearts,” Luviano told ABC.
