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Students taken to hospital after taking edibles at Mt. Vernon Middle School

FORTVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Almost a dozen Mt. Vernon Middle School students were being medically treated Friday afternoon after ingesting edible gummies, according to the Mount Vernon Community School District.

According to a release from the Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, 11 middle school students accepted and ingested the edible gummies and a few began showing symptoms. EMS crews were called and immediately provided medical attention to the students.

Police were also contacted to help determine all potentially affected students. All of the affected students went home with their parents or were taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

MVCSD clarified in a statement no one died as a result of the edibles.

“This afternoon, Mt. Vernon Middle School administration became aware that some students had accepted and ingested edible gummies. As a few students began exhibiting symptoms, Emergency Medical Services were contacted and arrived quickly to support the health needs of our students. Administration also contacted law enforcement and began an investigation to identify all potentially affected students. Through this investigation, eleven students were identified as potentially ingesting the gummies. The parents of these eleven students were immediately contacted and students either went home with their parents or were transported to the hospital to receive medical attention.

“As social media often does, the situation that was communicated to staff and parents was significantly embellished and unfortunately referenced casualties. We urge our community to rely only on accurate information released by the district and not to react to rumors or hearsay.

“While we first focus on student safety, those responsible for endangering our students will be held accountable and disciplined in accordance with our school’s disciplinary procedures.

“Mt. Vernon staff and community healthcare partners are committed to providing resources to support the health well-being of our students and staff. We ask our parents and guardians to please speak with your children about the dangers of accepting and eating gummies. Together, we will continue to prioritize the well-being of our school community and provide the necessary support to help our students make positive decisions that will benefit them now and in the future.

“To protect the privacy and confidentiality of our students, schools are generally prohibited from sharing personal information in situations like the one we are currently facing. We take the privacy of our students and their families very seriously and are committed to following all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sharing of personal information and remind the community to refer to the school safety communication webpage for details.”

Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation