wo shady elementary school teachers were booted from their Texas classroom after allegedly slapping special stickers containing melatonin on their students to keep them quiet.
The Northgate Crossing Elementary School educators are under police investigation after parents reported they allegedly gave their tiny tots a “sleeping sticker” during school hours that later impacted their moods at home, local outlets reported.
Lisa Luviano was alarmed after her 4-year-old child came home from school on Sept. 24 and showed her a blue sticker with a moon and stars that her teacher had given her for “sleeping time.”
“She said, ‘It is a sleeping sticker,’” Luviano told KTRK.
Luviano reported the sticker to school administrators after learning online that the adhesive is called a Sleep ZPatch — a sleeping aid containing melatonin and other “naturally occurring ingredients” designed for those over the age of 18.
“We brought the evidence up there, and we filed a report,” Luviano said, adding that she wanted to file criminal charges.
When the school district failed to take action and notify other parents after two weeks, Luviano took matters into her own hands and sent out a mass text, advising parents to speak with their children about the patch, the outlet reported.
Other parents shared similar concerns after confronting their children, including Najala Abdullah, who told KHOU her son was acting differently — crying more than usual and not eating or sleeping — since the school year started.
“They’re giving them drugs to make them sleep to keep them quiet,” Abdullah said.
Abdullah said she and other parents reported the matter to the Spring Independent School District and to Child Protective Services. Several parents also took their children to get examined at the hospital, the outlets reported.
It wasn’t until Tuesday that the school made a formal announcement that the two unidentified teachers would be placed on administrative leave pending a police investigation, the outlets reported.
“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.”
The district also noted the teachers violated policy by providing any student medications of any kind, unless otherwise authorized.