Two Texas educators are under fire after allegedly giving melatonin to preschoolers in order to make them sleepy and keep them quiet. The educators allegedly used special stickers containing the drug.
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A horrified parent made the discovery after questioning her child, and she brought the attention to the school and police.
Police are currently investigating the two Northgate Crossing Elementary School educators. They allegedly gave the very young children a "sleeping sticker" while at school. This later affected their behaviors when they came home.
Lisa Luviano broke the scandal wide open. She said that her 4-year-old brought the sticker home. It was a blue sticker with the moon and stars on it. The kid claimed that the educators gave it to her for sleeping time.
"She said, 'It is a sleeping sticker,'" Luviano told KTRK. Some quick Google searching showed that it was an adhesive called a Sleep ZPatch. It contains melatonin and other "naturally occurring ingredients." It's not meant for anyone under 18.
"We brought the evidence up there, and we filed a report," Luviano said. She also said that she wants to file criminal charges.
Unfortunately, the school failed to properly notify other parents or take action within two weeks. Luviano ended up sending out a mass text about the educators and the stickers. Other parents started voicing their concerns over the issue.
Educators Under Fire
Najala Abdullah told KHOU that her son was crying more than usual. He also wasn't eating or sleeping since starting the school year.
"They're giving them drugs to make them sleep to keep them quiet," Abdullah said.
Parents ended up taking the matter all the way up to the Spring Independent School District. They also reported it to Child Protective Services. Parents ended up taking their kids to the doctor. The school finally revealed that the teachers were placed on administrative leave.
"Upon learning of the allegation the teachers in that classroom were immediately removed and placed on administrative leave," the district said in a statement to KHOU, adding that two paraprofessionals were also placed on administrative leave as a "precautionary measure."
"The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we take every allegation of misconduct seriously. We ask for our community's patience as the SISD Police Department conducts their investigation."
