Three Alaska First Graders Suspended After Plotting To Poison Classmate With Silica Gel Packets

Three first grade students have been suspended after it was discovered that they had plotted to poison, and ultimately kill, one of their fellow classmates.

The three first grade students attended Winterberry Charter School in Anchorage, Alaska, Alaska’s largest city, and were suspended last week after another student heard about their plan to poison their classmate using silica gel packets and told their teacher.

Ed Graff, Superintendent with the Anchorage School District, said he is grateful that the student came forward to share the information she had overheard. Although the three first grade students, all female, admitted to wanting to harm the classmate, charges will not be filed against them, WTHI-TV reports.

First graders at an Alaska school allegedly planned to poison a classmatehttps://t.co/TLPxln3vQJ

— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) March 30, 2016

“I’m not sure what we could criminally charge first-graders with,” police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro said. “What ended up happening was the officer took each one of them individually, had a very a serious talk with all of them.”

After talking to the young first graders, the school’s resource officer explained what the girls had planned when they discussed poisoning their classmate. They were going to take the silica gel packets from their lunch bags and place them in the other student’s lunch. The girls were unaware that the silica packets, which are used to soak up moisture, are not poisonous, although they could pose a potential choking hazard.

Per the Carolinas Poison Center:

“Silica gel is a drying agent, meant to remove moisture from an enclosed space. Silica gel packs may be found in boxes containing electronics or new shoes and inside purses or medicine bottles. The packets contain either granular silicic acid, which resembles sand, or tiny gel beads. Silica gel is non-toxic, meaning that it is not poisonous if eaten. The package says “DO NOT EAT” because (1) it is not food, and (2) it could be a choking hazard. The whole packet, granules, or beads may become lodged in the throat of a small child or animal.”

“We also will talk to students about where they learn this and do they recognize the seriousness of their comments and their actions,” said Graff.

“A resource officer spoke with each student involved as well as the victim and thoroughly went over with them the repercussions of this kind of stuff,” Catro added. “We really tried to give them the straight talk and the big picture of what this could have potentially turned into.”

“All of these things are being discussed, especially since it’s such a young age,” school district spokeswoman Heidi Embley said, adding that the administrators and school district psychologists spoke with all three first graders to see if they understood what the consequences of their actions could have been.

Alaska first-graders accused of plot to poison classmate with silica gel packets https://t.co/TxBILPLmGS

— sara (@sarabeyo) March 31, 2016

Immediately following the incident, the Winterberry Charter School’s administrators sent home a letter to the 32 first graders in attendance. Principal Shanna Mall explained the foiled poisoning plot, adding that the girls planned to use the “lunchtime seaweed to poison and kill another student.” The letter also requested that the parents “connect with your child” and “talk about what it means to tell in order to be helpful.”

Principal Mall’s letter also explained that the discipline of the first graders will be left up to the school district, and the children will face “significant consequences,” including suspension. No further details regarding their punishment have been released at this time.

According to the school’s website, Winterberry is an “arts-integrated K-8 public school inspired by Waldorf educational methods.” The school currently has 228 enrolled students, with a waiting list of more than 400.

How do you think the Winterberry Charter School handled the first grader’s poisoning plot? Do you think there should have been tougher consequences? Leave your comments below.

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