4 PMHS students sent to hospital after 3 made ill by edible marijuana taken in school bathroom
EMS car outside of Pelham Memorial High School Wednesday.
Four Pelham Memorial High School students were transported to Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital on Wednesday after at least three fell ill from consuming edible marijuana in a school bathroom, according to Pelham Police Department incident reports.
Police responded to PMHS at 11:42 a.m. and found one student who reported edible marijuana was causing her to vomit. “Further, she advised that several students had taken edible marijuana during third period,” police said. “She stated they had taken them in a second-floor girls bathroom.”
Two other students from the group were identified, one of whom was also ill, and all were transported to the hospital. At 2:30 p.m., Pelham Police returned to PMHS and took a fourth student to the hospital on the belief she had “consumed edible marijuana,” the report said.
While police were in the building, the high school implemented a series of hold-in-place procedures for 40 minutes during sixth period.
In an email Wednesday afternoon, Superintendent Dr. Cheryl Champ said, “EMS services responded to Pelham Memorial High School due to multiple students falling ill.” The high school’s academy period was canceled, and a faculty meeting was held to brief on the situation.
PMHS Principal Mark Berkowitz followed up Champ’s email Wednesday evening, alerting students to grade-wide assemblies being held Thursday. Berkowitz said the assemblies would reinforce “the messages that have already been presented during health classes” and provided additional resources from Student Assistance Counselor Justine LaDisa.
During the assemblies, Berkowitz lead a conversation on drug use and explained the measures taken during the incidents Wednesday. He held a brief period for questions and reminded students that any one of the guidance counselors, social workers or himself could answer other questions.
Due to student privacy issues, the school could not share specifics, but Berkowitz said students had not taken any substances containing fentanyl, and the students hospitalized were in stable condition. Consequences will be enforced based on the PMHS code of conduct, he said.
Kendra Pendleton • Feb 18, 2023 at 1:27 pm
First. PelhamTogether “what does your kid’s room look like?” THAT is one way to address problems like these in our towns. Wake up parents, police and school administration. The Pelhams fetishize drinking and drugs (almost spring! time for druken teen house parties and visits to the woods!). Face that reality first. Then attack it. No more parties. Police working with the NYPD to get kids out of the woods. It’s not surprising that we had this scary incident when we have smoke shops in walking distance that sell 50mg and 25mg gummies of THC as the minimum dosage. GO LOOK! The police certainly aren’t. 25mg of THC is the just about right dosage for what a brain-dead middle aged stoner who’s damaged his brain so much over the years that he can’t get up off he couch. 50mg is TWICE that amt. I understand the DAs have told you no arrests, the NY Legislature fetishizes marijuana and made it into a triumph over racism… but no fines? Pelhams Police LOVE fines. Pelhams Police car windows steam up with excitement at the site of an illegal UTurn and a resident’s car on the street and not its driveway by nighty-nighty-time. Pelhams Police: YOU are the problem. Go fine the smoke shops. Talk to these kids. Do SOMETHING besides write tickets. Mr. Berk and Dr. Champ? YOU are the problem. You’re so reactive I have trouble understanding where you actually live and what you actually see. My kids saw it all in the bathrooms from Day One Freshman year. Why are you not using the kids’ bathrooms? Forcing teachers to use them too? Then you’ll see what everyone else sees all day every day. Parents? HEY: Cool Parents? You’re the worst. Stop looking the other way. Stop buying your kids’ booze and then worrying about whether you’ll be liable for that house party in YOUR house. Your children’s brains and lives are at risk here. They’re only one year from college? Only two years from college? That means you stop it now. You tell them NOW that underage substance use and underage alcohol use and bingeing isn’t acceptable. That’s why the legal age is 21 and not 18. What the h___ is wrong with all of you? God help the girls who ingested the cannabis that all of you made available and attractive to them. Hi. It’s you. You’re the problem, it’s you.
Joya Kolombraro • Feb 20, 2023 at 8:46 pm
The last sentence of this article sums it up. “Consequences will be enforced based on the PMHS code of conduct, [Berkowitz] said.” They really only know how to be reactive and punish. The police, the school, the town. Maybe they can have the kids wear more lanyards. That should fix everything.
Bob Shepherd • Feb 16, 2023 at 5:03 pm
As a father of a high school student, it’s a great shame on the school that I have to find out what happened through this means, thank you Pelham Examiner.
There is absolutely no reason why the school couldn’t give this information out earlier to all parents via email/text. It hasn’t compromised “student privacy issues” whatsoever.
Slowly slowly incidents at the high school are increasing, yet the response to parents from the school authorities is always the same: As little information as possible, and sweep it under the carpet along with past incidents that I still haven’t been briefed on. Obviously in the land of litigation the school’s lawyers are doing a grand job.
However, high school students are nothing more than older children, and from time to time they’ll make stupid mistakes. I’m just pleased to hear that this time anyway, no one is in a serious condition through their own foolishness. I hope that they recover and learn quickly.
For the next incident at the high school (because there WILL be a next incident) I’d like to be informed with enough information to understand what happened, and therefore feel satisfied that I can park it and move on.
Charles Stern • Feb 17, 2023 at 1:05 pm
School to community: “Nothing to see here, folks.”