Two elementary school teachers at Northgate Crossing Elementary in Texas were removed from their classrooms after allegedly using melatonin-infused stickers to keep students calm and quiet.
The teachers are now under police investigation after the student’s parent complaints, as reported by the New York Post.
When Lisa Luviano 4-year-old came back from school on September 24, she became alarmed when she saw a blue sticker featuring a moon and stars, given to her by a teacher during ‘sleeping time,’ which her daughter referred to as a ‘sleeping sticker.’
After researching online, Luviano discovered the sticker was a Sleep ZPatch, a sleep aid containing melatonin, intended for adults over 18.Enraged by the discovery, Luviano reported it to school administrators and filed a police report, seeking criminal charges.
When the school authorities did not revert back to Luviano for 2 weeks she got frustrated and decided to take matters into her own hands. She sent a mass text to other parents, encouraging them to ask their children about the stickers.
Several other parents raised similar concerns, including Najala Abdullah, whose son had been crying more, not eating, and experiencing sleep disruptions since the school year began. Abdullah and other parents reported the situation to Spring Independent School District and Child Protective Services. Some even took their children to the hospital to get examined.
On Tuesday, the school finally responded to all the complaints, announcing that the two unnamed teachers had been placed on administrative leave pending a police investigation. Two paraprofessionals were also placed on leave as a precaution.
In a statement, the district said, “Upon learning of the allegation, the teachers in that classroom were immediately removed and placed on administrative leave.”
The district emphasised that student safety is their highest priority and confirmed that the teachers violated policy by administering any form of medication without proper authorisation.