Local students suspended for eating edibles, parent says it was mistaken for candy

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Five Coleman Middle School students have been disciplined after they ate edibles containing THC. One parent says his child thought it was a regular piece of candy and should not be suspended for being a victim.

The parent of one of the Coleman Middle School students wished to remain anonymous but said his child was suspended for three days for eating what he thought was a piece of candy. The dad’s main concern is that the candy could have been laced with fentanyl.  

The situation hits hard for the parents of this Coleman Middle School student. 

“I was shocked that this was happening. We could be telling a whole different story today,” said the Coleman Middle School parent. 

He had already lost a child to a fentanyl overdose a few years ago. He’s concerned about the accessibility. 

“It’s alarming that kids can get their hands on this at such a young age, take it into a school, and children are exposed to this,” said the parent. 

The parent believes his child should not have been suspended, calling it an honest mistake. 

“He didn’t know what he was taking. It looked like candy. That’s the scary part about it,” said the parent. 

Wichita Public Schools declined to be interviewed and said they cannot comment on student discipline.

The concerned parent says the school wants his child to participate in a drug evaluation. He does not believe his child, with zero drug history, should be put through that experience. He wants other parents to talk with their kids about drugs in hopes they can avoid the heartache he lives with every day. 

“It’s a daily reminder of how real this is, of the fear, and my journey. It’s not over. I go through this reminder every day,” said the parent. 

Around 70,000 people in the United States die of a fentanyl-related overdose in 2022.