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Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Mom serves alcoholic Jell-O shots to 5th graders at school party, Texas cops say
National Mom serves alcoholic Jell-O shots to 5th graders at school party, Texas cops say A parent is accused of bringing Jell-O shots (not the ones pictured) to an elementary school Christmas party, Texas police said. Getty Images/iStockphoto A mother of a fifth grader purchased Jell-O shots from a business on Facebook but said she didn't know there was vodka in them, Texas police said. The shots — decorated with seasoning and whipped cream — were served at an elementary school Christmas party at Jones Elementary and Boshears Center in Tyler, police said. Multiple students consumed the alcoholic Jell-O shots and some got sick, according to court documents filed this month. The mother was arrested and charged with injury to a child on April 21, according to court records. She was released the same day, jail records show. Her attorney information was not listed. 'Tyler ISD is aware of the recent arrest of a parent in connection to an elementary holiday party last December. At the time, a parent volunteer brought homemade Jello to the celebration, which was later found to contain alcohol. Unfortunately, some students consumed the Jello before the situation was discovered. Staff acted immediately to address the situation, informing parents and working with law enforcement,' Tyler Independent School District said in a statement to McClatchy News. 'Since the incident, the parent has not been allowed back on campus and now faces legal consequences. We take this matter very seriously and remain committed to the safety and well-being of our students.' The event occurred Dec. 20, the last day of school before holiday break, when classes held Christmas parties. The parent brought boxes of Jell-O shots for the children to consume, the arrest affidavit said. Some teachers found it odd for the parent to serve Jell-O shots, but told the school resource officer that the parent was involved in school events so they trusted she wouldn't serve alcohol, the affidavit said. But two teachers tasted the Jell-O and thought they tasted of alcohol, police said. They reported this to the class teacher, who also went to taste the Jell-O. As the teacher approached the table, the parent went up to her and asked her if she thought the shots contained alcohol, police said. The concerns were relayed to the assistant principal. All but four children in the class were sent to the nurse's office because they had consumed a Jell-O shot, according to the arrest affidavit. One student threw up twice at school and his mother said he 'passed out' when at home, and another told police he felt dizzy, court documents said. The owner of the business on Facebook said the order form clearly states that the shots contain Smirnoff vodka, police said. The business owner assumed the parent knew the shots contained alcohol, according to police. The remaining Jell-O shots were collected and sent to a police lab, where they were confirmed to contain alcohol, according to the arrest affidavit. Tyler is about a 100-mile drive southeast from Dallas. This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 1:08 PM. Kate Linderman mcclatchy-newsroom Go to X Email this person Kate Linderman covers national news for McClatchy's real-time team. She reports on politics and crime and courts news in the Midwest. Kate is a 2023 graduate of DePaul University and is based in Chicago.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
East Texas mom arrested for allegedly bringing jello shots with vodka to elementary party
A Texas mother was arrested last week after allegedly bringing vodka-infused jello shots to an elementary school holiday party, causing several fifth-grade students to vomit and leaving one student reportedly unable to stand after consuming six shots. According to an affidavit obtained by KETK, a Tyler ISD police officer was contacted by the assistant principal of Jones Elementary and Boshears Center on Dec. 20. The assistant principal informed the officer that she suspected a parent had brought jello shots to the class's Christmas party, which was later confirmed via sick children and through lab testing. Here's what we know. On the day of the event, after several students had already consumed the jello, the officer asked the suspect, Teresa Isabel Bernal, to come to the principal's office. Upon arriving, the officer noticed a cafeteria boat containing four gelatin shots on the conference table. During the interview, Bernal told the officer that the jello shots were purchased from a local business she found on Facebook. According to the affidavit, Bernal explained that the business was run out of a house, so she went there to buy the shots and brought them to the school for the party. When asked if the jello shots contained alcohol, Bernal responded, 'They do taste different,' according to the affidavit. She further explained that she had intended the shots for the students and was unaware they contained alcohol. However, the jello shots were marked with Smirnoff labels, leading officers to question how Bernal could not have known. 'In my opinion, there is no way Bernal could have missed the fact that the Jell-O shots she purchased from the local business and brought to the Christmas party contained drinking alcohol,' the officer said. As it was the last day of school before Christmas break, the officer briefly interviewed 15 students who had consumed the shots. 'Nearly all of them reported having stomachaches and headaches,' the affidavit said. One student who had allegedly consumed six shots reported to the officer that he was dizzy. The student explained that he fell and felt unable to stand. He said he was 'scared' while on the floor in his teacher's room. Another student who had consumed two went to the bathroom and vomited before speaking to the officer, and then again after. According to the affidavit, the officer spoke to the student's mother on Jan. 21, and she reported that her child acted oddly after she picked him up. 'She said he 'passed out' on the floor at home,' the affidavit said. On Jan. 20, the officer contacted the teacher about the incident. The teacher described the jello shot boxes as 'nice,' noting they appeared to be something a bakery might provide and explained that the desserts were distributed at lunch on the day of the incident. About 20 minutes after the students had theirs, two teachers sampled the jello shots and suspected they contained alcohol. The teacher then returned the students to the classroom after lunch and sent those who had consumed the jello shots to the nurse, leaving only four students remaining in the class. 'During the interviews, I was told that while some of the teachers found it odd that Bernal would bring jello shots to an elementary school party, they trusted her to not bring anything harmful,' the affidavit said. 'Bernal was an involved parent and frequently participated in school events.' The officer also interviewed the owners of the local business, who confirmed the purchase the day before the party. The officer received screenshots of a text conversation between the owner and Bernal. 'Bernal asked the owner if the shots contained alcohol. The owner replied that the shots did have alcohol and asked why. Bernal simply responded, 'kids,'' the affidavit stated. The affidavit noted that the remaining jello shots were sent to NMS Labs for testing, which confirmed they contained alcohol. Bernal was arrested and booked at the Smith County Jail on April 21 for recklessly causing bodily injury to a child. She posted her $75,000 bond the same day. According to a note sent to families, Tyler ISD has prohibited Bernal from returning to campus. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas mom arrested for bringing vodka jello to 5th grade school party
