Parents at a school in Texas reported that a teacher gave sleeping pills to her children in preschool and the school district indicated that there is an “active criminal investigation” and four teachers were suspended from the classrooms.
“We will not remain silent,” said Lisa Luviano, who said her daughter Layne, 5, told her in September that teachers had been putting a “sleep sticker” on her body.
The .com platform has not verified the product in question, but Melissa Gilford, whose 4-year-old daughter Ava told her that the sticker had also been placed on her at Northgate Crossing Elementary School in Spring, Texas, said that it is the same as a sleeping patch that contains melatonin and is available over the counter.
A spokesperson for the Spring Independent School District in Houston sent .com a statement acknowledging the “deeply disturbing” matter that is under a criminal investigation.
“Northgate Elementary administration was notified by a parent that their child was given a sleep patch in the classroom by their teacher. After learning of the accusation, the teachers of that class were immediately dismissed and placed on administrative leave. “Out of an abundance of caution, two such paraprofessionals have also been placed on administrative leave pending the ongoing investigation by the Spring Police Department,” according to the statement.
Superintendent Lupita Hinojosa said in another written statement that “the matter is under investigation, and we will take all necessary measures to prevent this from happening again.”
Luviano told .com that in September, her daughter Layne was excited to bring home a sticker.
“He told me: ‘This is my sleeping sticker. I got it to bring it home,’” Luviano recalled of her initial conversation with her daughter who explained, “I get the sticker when I take a nap.”
Luviano said her sweet, cheerful daughter had been moody, upset and sleepless since she started school at Northgate Elementary in August. The mother said she first called the local police department, which put her in touch with district officials and explained that they would send an officer to meet with them. According to her, she and her husband showed up at the school, patch in hand, and spoke with the principal.
She left the meeting convinced that an investigation would take place and that the school would keep her informed. Afterwards, he called them several times to ask for information, but did not receive any satisfactory response. Frustrated by what she called a “detour,” Luviano contacted other parents.
Gilford told .com that she learned about the sleeping patches through Luviano on Oct. 7 and immediately spoke to her daughter Ava.
“I said, ‘Hey, do you all get these (patches) at school?’ and she replied: ‘Yes! That’s the sleeping sticker,’” Gilford assured, to whom his daughter explained that the teacher was the one who placed them.
“It’s scary because you want to trust, but when you realize this the trust is broken,” Gilford lamented.
“The report that a teacher allegedly gave a student a sleeping pill is deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. Please be assured that upon learning of the incident, the staff members involved were immediately removed from the classroom, an administrative and police investigation was initiated, and we addressed the concerns of the student’s family, offering them our sincerest apologies,” according to the statement from Superintendent Lupita Hinojosa.
“Let us be clear: it is totally unacceptable for any staff member to administer any type of medication, including a sleeping pill. “This action violates district policy, and Spring ISD has zero tolerance for behavior that endangers student safety,” Hinojosa said.
Melatonin is a generally safe sleep aid for children, according to Boston Children’s Hospital, but it can have side effects such as headaches, nightmares, and mood swings. A melatonin overdose is a growing danger for children, he warns.
Minors should never receive supplements without their parents’ knowledge, said Dr. Joel Gator Warsh, a pediatrician and author of Parenting at Your Child’s Pace: The Integrative Pediatrician’s Guide to the First Three Years.
“Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the pineal gland of the brain and affects the sleep cycle,” Gator Warsh told .com. It is one of the most widely used supplements and is generally considered benign, he noted.
The amount of melatonin in a patch is probably minimal, but without knowing a child’s medical history, “it can have profound consequences,” he said.
