Pepper spray released inside classroom in Redford Township

Mother knew student had pepper spray

REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police and firefighters were called to a charter school in Redford Township after pepper spray went off inside a classroom.

Redford Fire Department officials said fewer than a half-dozen students were taken to a hospital as a precaution. They had irritation in their eyes, officials said. They're expected to be OK.

The incident happened at Washington-Parks Academy at the corner of Telegraph and Plymouth roads.

A seventh-grade student has been suspended after she allegedly intentionally brought the pepper spray to school. The child's mother knew the student had the spray.

Nearly 25 students were in the classroom when the pepper spray went off.

"They were feeling the results of that, so we called EMS (emergency medical services) and they came out immediately," said Ernestine Sanders, with Washington-Parks Academy.

The student allegedly wanted to show some of her friends how the pepper spray worked, and when it went off in the classroom, the spray got into the eyes of several other students and caused breathing problems.

"It didn't happen in front of the teacher, but once the teacher realized it happened, she took care of it immediately," Sanders said. "Every parent of all the children in that class were called to let them know what occurred."

When school officials contacted the mother of the girl who sprayed the pepper spray, school leaders discovered the mother knew the child had the spray.

"I don't have the motivation as to why her mom gave it to her, but we do know she had it and the mother was called in," Sanders said. "I haven't heard of any malicious intent, but what I can tell you as we go forward, we will continue this investigation."

Statement from school officials available below:


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Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.