Ten students from Lauralton Hall in Milford were taken to the hospital and school was dismissed early after pepper spray went off this morning and police said it appears to have been an accident.
One student at the college-prep high school for girls was passing pepper spray to another student went it went off accidentally during a chance of classes at 10:15 a.m. and 30 to 40 people were exposed to it, police said.
Firefighters responded to the school at 200 High Street around 10:15 a.m. after receiving a 911 call about a substance being “discharged” in the lobby.
The students who were in the area where the pepper spray went off had difficulty breathing, fire officials said, so crews began providing medical care and 10 of the students were transported to local hospitals to be evaluated.
Students and staff were immediately brought to the gymnasium and parents will be able to pick up their children, officials said.
The school has been ventilated and meters showed the air is clear.
Police said students are allowed to have pepper spray because some of them commute by train. The investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.
