DORCHESTER, MA (WCVB/CNN) - School officials say a sixth grader could be disciplined for bringing pepper spray to class after it accidentally went off and injured 15 students.
No one knew a sixth grader at UP Academy Dorchester was carrying a harmful irritant until she started fidgeting in a Tuesday afternoon class, and dozens of students began coughing.
“She had it in her back pocket, and she started moving around in her seat. The pepper spray went off, and it started spraying in the classroom,” said sixth grader Keiarra Gray. “It burned my throat and a lot of kids were starting to cough, and some kids didn’t know what was going on.”
Keiarra says the teacher wasn’t sure what was happening at first and accidentally exacerbated the incident.
"He just thought kids were coughing because it might be a cold, so he closed the door, and that’s how it got even worse,” she said.
Emergency crews responded and found 15 students in the class complaining of respiratory and eye issues. All but one was evaluated at the scene. A student with asthma was taken to the hospital.
Administrators say pepper spray is not allowed in school and is considered a weapon.
"We will be taking measures with this student and their family, not only for accountability but to ensure that this student actually learns from this incident,” said Adkeem Jackson, director of student support for the academy.
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