Preteen’s parents concerned about marijuana gummy incident at elementary school

By Alyssa Erwin

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    MT. MORRIS TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WJRT) — Parents of three preteens from McMonagle Elementary School in Mount Morris Township said it’s a situation that has happened before in the district.

Family members of three students, two were 12-year-olds, and one was an 11-year-old, were hospitalized after eating gummies. The parents said they want answers, after their children told them they unknowingly ate marijuana edible gummies allegedly supplied by their tablemate at school.

Mt. Morris Township Police said the situation happened Tuesday, around 1:30 p.m. Students ate gummies, claiming they didn’t know marijuana was in them.

Police originally said the girls were 13, but ABC 12 have confirmed with the parents they were not teens.

“I’m concerned not only about my 11-year-old grandchild, I’m concerned about all of the kids,” said Rita Williams, the grandmother of the 11-year-old. “That’s what we first should start at; opening up the line of communication,” she said.

“I got a call saying to come get my kid, because my kid is stoned,” recalled Prennicea Horton, the mother of a 12-year-old. “My first thought was how is my kid stoned, my kid is at school.”

The Mt. Morris Township Police Department says all three girls were lethargic and appeared to be “out of it.”

Prennicea Horton rushed to McMonagle Elementary school, along with the 11-year-old’s mother, Mia Thomas and an aunt, Misha Thomas.

“My daughter is traumatized from this,” said Horton.

When the parents arrived, they said their students were experiencing major effects, couldn’t walk, had high heart beats, and were sluggish.

“The image is still in my head,” explained Misha Thomas, the aunt of the 11-year-old. “I hate this for her. To be 11-years-old, to even go through that, is a traumatic situation, period.”

In a statement from Mt. Morris Township Police Department it says in part,

“The three girls stated they got them from another girl in the school who was talked to and she denied knowing anything about the gummies.”

“It was under the form that it was candy. it look like, it was in a candy wrapper,” said Horton.

The family members said they called 9-1-1, as their children were having effects, and taken to Hurley.

They also explained this was not the first time a similar situation has happened at the elementary school.

“Not the first time at all, and the right protocol has not been taken, that is what upsets me the most,” said Horton.

The Thomas’ say they spoke to their children about the dangers prior, only to receive that one phone call two days ago.

“From my understanding, this is not the child’s first time bringing it to the school,” said the mother of the 11-year-old, Mia Thomas. “It should have never happened a second time, let alone the first time, the first time it should have expulsion or something, but obviously nothing because this time it affected my child.”

Police say they did not find gummies on the student, so we are still unsure how she got them.

In a statement Westwood Heights Schools it says in part, “We want to take this opportunity to remind all parents to talk with their children about the dangers of consuming medications and other substances designed for adults. Open communication about these risks is crucial in preventing such incidents in the future… Please be assured that this incident is still under investigation, and we are taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our students.”

The Thomas’s say McMonagle has been their families place of education since the 1990’s, and now the trust is wavering.

“I’m not here to try and bash, I just need you to listen and talk to me, that’s all I need,” said Williams.

The parents and Westwood Heights Schools have confirmed all four girls have been asked to not come back to school pending the investigation.

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