Pennsylvania kindergartener shares Jell-O shots with classmates, school says

Yahoo

16-05-2025

A Pennsylvania kindergartener shared alcoholic Jell-O shots with at least three other students at school Wednesday, the Greater Johnstown School District said in a statement posted to social media.
It is unclear how much alcohol the students ingested and whether the child knowingly brought alcoholic drinks to school.
Staff at Johnstown Elementary School — about 70 miles east of Pittsburgh — immediately took action once it was aware of the situation, the district said.
Students were evaluated by the nurse and taken to a local hospital "out of an abundance of caution," superintendent Amy Arcurio said.
The incident is under investigation.
"We are cooperating fully with local authorities to determine how the student came into possession of these items and to ensure the continued safety of our students and staff," Arcurio said.
School officials said they could only provide limited details because of privacy laws but will provide updates when possible.
No charges have been filed as of Friday, and the district has not released information about the student's family or any disciplinary action, NBC Philadelphia reported.
The incident comes after a Texas mother was arrested in April after allegedly bringing Jell-O shots to her child's elementary school's Christmas party.
Teresa Isabel Bernal, 33, told a Tyler Independent School District police officer she was unaware the shots contained alcohol, but admitted they tasted "different," the affidavit stated.
Fifteen students consumed the shots and almost all reported "stomach aches and headaches,' according to the affidavit. One said after he consumed six Jell-O shots, he "got dizzy and fell and felt like he could not get back on his feet," the file said.
The Jell-O shots were allegedly purchased from a sweets business on Facebook, which made a clear disclaimer on its website that the shots contained Smirnoff vodka, according to the affidavit.
Bernal was booked into the Smith County Jail on April 21 and posted $75,000 bond the same day.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com