HAMPTON, Va. — A 5th-grade student at George P. Phenix School in Hampton allegedly brought psilocybin-infused candy to school to share with several classmates, a spokesperson for the city's school system confirmed with 13News Now.
The spokesperson for Hampton City Schools said the student brought the psilocybin-laced candies called "Mr. Mushies" to school on Wednesday and Thursday, sharing them with other students near the end of the day. Psilocybin is also known as magic mushrooms.
A parent contacted a teacher around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, prompting action from the school's administration who initiated the investigation. According to the spokesperson, 10 students received the candy, and four were confirmed to have consumed it.
The school contacted the parents or guardians of all students involved along with a general message to all school families on Friday.
The School Resource Officer facilitated the testing of the candies, the spokesperson said.
Two Phenix parents told 13News Now they first heard what happened through our Facebook post on the incident Tuesday morning.
"I was kind of upset because I clicked it, I seen Phenix in it. I clicked it and I was like what in the world, how did drugs even get into the school?" said one of the parents, who wishes to remain anonymous.
The school says that the student involved is being disciplined following Hampton City Schools policies. The Hampton Police Division is also handling any necessary legal action against the student.
The following message was sent to all families Phenix families from Principal Robin Hunt-Crenshaw:
"To prevent any potential spread of misinformation, I feel it is important that I share factual details with you regarding a situation that occurred at our school.
One of our fifth grade students brought psilocybin-infused candy to school and shared it with a few classmates. The candy is known as Mr. Mushies. Administration has addressed the matter as well as worked in collaboration with our school resource officer. Please know that the students who received the candy have been identified and their parents have been personally contacted.
As you are most likely aware, items like these are not tolerated on school property. I am unable to provide details about student discipline, but please know that the student is being disciplined according to the HCS Student’s Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
We kindly request all parents and guardians take this opportunity to engage in a conversation with your child, reviewing together the items that are deemed appropriate and inappropriate for school. It's essential to emphasize the serious repercussions of bringing prohibited items. Furthermore, we believe it's crucial to stress to your child the importance of refraining from accepting or consuming items whose contents they are unfamiliar with, to include items that look like candy.
Safety is always our top priority at Phenix. We thank you for your continued support as we work together to provide a safe learning environment for all students and staff. Thank you."
To the principal's last point, the two parents we spoke to say that's something they're reminding their children about: not sharing food with others.
"Not taking drinks from other students, because you don’t know if there’s drugs like acid or maybe alcohol mixed in. You never know what you’re getting. Don’t take candy from people. It’s gotten to a point you know when we were growing up, don’t take candy from strangers and stuff but now it’s you can’t really trust anybody," the parent said.