A Michigan kindergartner brought a mixed tequila drink to class and shared the alcoholic beverage with four other students, NBC News reports.
According to one parent named Dominique Zanders, the incident occurred at Grand River Academy on April 14 when the unidentified student took out a bottle of Jose Cuervo pre-mixed tequila into class, poured it into small cups, and distributed it during snack time to their classmates, which included their 5-year-old daughter. Zanders said their daughter took “four or five sips” before feeling “woozy” and “dizzy” and alerting her teacher.
Alexis Smith, another parent, described to ClickOnDetroit what it was like receiving a phone call from the school regarding the situation. “I asked her, like, ‘Is my daughter OK,’” Smith recalled. “The teacher said ‘she’s right here, and she looks OK’. And then I said, ‘OK, well, how much did she drink?’”
“My daughter takes medicine,” Smith continued. “First off, no kid should be drinking, and you know, just the shock itself, it burns. Like how do you feel, like anything could have happened.”
Grand River Academy spokesperson Leah Nixon said the situation was “immediately addressed” and the school sought out consultation from medical professionals at poison control, but none of the students were hurt or required additional assistance.
“While we try to keep an eye on everything our students bring to school, that’s simply not possible,” Nixon said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that these types of adult beverages can be easily mistaken for child-friendly drinks.”
Classes were cancelled the following day before resuming on Monday. Zanders said their daughter was kept out on Monday as well in an effort to reassess their commitment to Grand River Academy in wake of what happened.
