An elementary school in Alaska is under investigation after twelve students and two adults were reportedly served floor sealant instead of milk.
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A floor sealant that resembled milk due to its color and consistency was served to students
The students were served breakfast around 8:45 a.m. during the RALLY summer program at the Sitʼ Eeti Shaanáx̱ Glacier Valley Elementary School on Tuesday when the chemical was distributed. Moments later, they complained about the “milk” tasting bad and a burning sensation in their mouths and throats. In a statement released by the Juneau School District, school staff later discovered that the ‘milk’ was “actually a floor sealant resembling liquid milk.”
Immediately, the school staff was told to stop giving the liquid to the students after looking at the container’s label and had it removed. The state’s poison control officials and parents were notified about the incident. One student received medical treatment while the other two students were picked up by their parents.
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However, one of the parents said it took school staff three hours to contact her and her husband about the incident involving their 7-year-old daughter. “I don’t see my daughter going there anymore,” he said. “You’d have to have the people running it removed and new people running it,” said Barry Nydam.
“I just can’t believe it took so long even just to tell me, you know? If I wanted to run my kid to the hospital, I wouldn’t have even known,”
The floor sealant and milk were placed in the same type of container which caused confusion among staff members
According to the New York Post, the food items were provided by an outside contractor, NANA Management Services. Superintendent Briget Weiss said the milk and floor sealant produc called Hillyard Seal 341, both came in large plastic bags that were kept in cardboard boxes. Staff poured the chemical out of the bag and placed it in a dispenser to serve meals in place of cartons.
“We don’t know how that happened, but they were all put on the same pallet. That pallet was delivered, and the assumption was that it was milk because that’s what we thought was being delivered.”
However, there was no odor or chemical smell from the sealant but officials claim the chemical has a “low ingestion risk.” Weiss added that the some of students had upset stomachs but several others didn’t report any issues. A statement was also released by NANA Management Services who said they sent a safety team to the school after learning about the incident in Juneau.
“We are in the midst of a comprehensive investigation that will look at every contributing factor to determine exactly what happened and to identify potential safety measures.”
An investigation by Juneau Police will seek why the food products were placed in the same building as the chemical but they do not suspect foul play or other criminal intent.