A Michigan kindergartner brought a Jose Cuervo tequila mixed drink to school and shared it with four other children last week, school officials told parents.
Outraged parents were told the child had brought the small plastic bottle to class at Grand River Academy in Livonia, Michigan, on Thursday, according to NBC affiliate Local 4 News. A school spokesperson later described the beverage as "a pre-mixed, single-serve alcoholic beverage that was marketed as adult lemonade."
Parent Alexis Smith told the station she was stunned when the school called to tell her that her daughter had been given alcohol.
“So many thoughts (were) running through my mind like ... what if it was open before the girl brought it to school? How much was it?”
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“I asked her, like, ‘Is my daughter OK,’” Smith added. “The teacher said ‘she’s right here, and she looks OK’. And then I said, ‘OK, well, how much did she drink?’”
Smith said the school could not give her an answer. She added that her daughter will not be returning to the school.
“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.”
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A school spokesperson later issued a statement, according to Local News 4, that said “We understand our parents’ fears and frustrations. A student did bring a pre-mixed, single-serve alcoholic beverage that was marketed as adult lemonade to school and share it with four classmates."
"While we try to keep an eye on everything our students bring to school, that’s simply not possible. It’s unfortunate that these types of adult beverages can be easily mistaken for child-friendly drinks."
“School staff noticed the beverage and immediately addressed the situation, which included consulting with medical professionals at poison control and calling the parents of the children involved."
“We are grateful no student became ill or needed medical attention.”
In a letter sent to parents, the school said disciplinary action would be taken. It also said none of the children required medical attention, but that school staff had consulted with medical professionals.
An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the alcoholic drink. It is Jose Cuervo
