Mt. Vernon Middle School students sickened by edibles

Police said the incident happened Friday around 3 p.m.

FORTVILLE, Ind. — Several students sought medical treatment Friday after eating gummies at Mt. Vernon Middle School. 

Police said the gummies were provided by another student. Eleven students in total are believed to have eaten the edibles. 

All of the students were either checked out and went home with their parents or were taken to the hospital for medical attention. Medics described the illnesses as mild. 

Friday evening, the school district released a statement about the incident:

"This afternoon, Mt. Vernon Middle School administration became aware that some students had accepted and ingested edible gummies. As a few students began exhibiting symptoms, Emergency Medical Services were contacted and arrived quickly to support the health needs of our students. Administration also contacted law enforcement and began an investigation to identify all potentially affected students. Through this investigation, eleven students were identified as potentially ingesting the gummies. The parents of these eleven students were immediately contacted and students either went home with their parents or were transported to the hospital to receive medical attention.

"As social media often does, the situation that was communicated to staff and parents was significantly embellished and unfortunately referenced casualties. We urge our community to rely only on accurate information released by the district and not to react to rumors or hearsay.

"While we first focus on student safety, those responsible for endangering our students will be held accountable and disciplined in accordance with our school's disciplinary procedures.

"Mt. Vernon staff and community healthcare partners are committed to providing resources to support the health well-being of our students and staff. We ask our parents and guardians to please speak with your children about the dangers of accepting and eating gummies. Together, we will continue to prioritize the well-being of our school community and provide the necessary support to help our students make positive decisions that will benefit them now and in the future.

"To protect the privacy and confidentiality of our students, schools are generally prohibited from sharing personal information in situations like the one we are currently facing. We take the privacy of our students and their families very seriously and are committed to following all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sharing of personal information and remind the community to refer to the school safety communication webpage for details."

Posted by Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation on Friday, May 5, 2023