Tue. Dec 24th, 2024

I wonder how the SAUSD’s PR staff will spin this one? Apparently 11 students at McFadden Intermediate School were rushed to a local hospital today after they were found to be under the influence of an unknown substance, according to the O.C. Register.

The SAUSD later admitted that the students had taken a prescription drug – Xanax, that one of the students brought to school. Xanax affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety.

The OCFA reported that the victims were mildly to moderately lethargic at around noon, at McFadden Junior High School, located at 2701 South Raitt St. The school staff then called 911 and paramedics came to the school, where they treated seven girls and three boys.

A total of six ambulances took the victims to Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

The SAUSD did not tell the parents what happened until they finally sent out a robo-call at 2 p.m. Parents were pretty upset as they drove up to see numerous news vans at the school.

While we do not yet know what happened to the kids the fact that the other students were not evacuated from the school leads me to believe that the victims must have ingested something. We should know more later once the OCFA updates the story. I would imagine the Santa Ana School Police will take point on the investigation.

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Art Pedroza Editor
Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

By Art Pedroza

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

7 thoughts on “Eleven McFadden Intermediate students hospitalized after they took Xanax at school”
  1. THIS SHIT DOESN’T SURPRISE ME AT ALL. KIDS SMOKING MARIJUANA IN THE BOYS RESTROOM. KIDS COME TO SCHOOL WITH KNIFES.

    WHERE ARE TNE TEACHERS? NO WHERE TO FOUND. THE PRINCIPAL MUNIZ MUST BE DOING LINES IN THE OFFICE BECAUSE THIS SCHOOL IS OUT OF CONTROL.

    RIGHT NOW ITS PILLS N MEXT WILL BE THE UNTHINKABLE.

    THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO FIRE MUNIZ N GET SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN CORRECT ALL THE ISSUSES.

    1. Yes I agree my son goes to that school and everyday they are bullying him .me and my wife already had sit down’s with the vice principal and the counselor and dumb as Muniz .so far my son has been OK just cause I told him to defend himself but yes I agree that school is out of control .Muniz is always in meeting which I call bullshiy

    2. Parents need to responsibility as well. Didnt teach your kid to not do drugs isnt the teachers fault. More than likely the kids got it from one of there parents.

      1. FIRST OF ALL ANONYMOUS, I AM ONE OF THE PARENTS AND YOUR RIGHT WE AS PARENTS NEED TO STEP UP. THIS DIDNT HAPPEN AT HOME, IT HAPPEN AT SCHOOL WHERE OUR KIDS SHOULD BE SAFE. THE SCHOOL DID NOTHING TO HELP US, WE DIDNT EVEN GET A PHONE CALL, THE ONLY WAY WE KNEW THAT IT WAS OUR SON IS BECAUSE SOMEONE SAW MY SON AND CALLED US. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THIS, WE HAVE BEEN ASKING THE SCHOOL TO HELP OUR SON AND AGAIN IT GOT PUSHED OUT THE DOOR BUT IM TELLING YOU NOW ,THIS IS NOT OVER. MY VOICE WILL BE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR. I ALREADY TOOK THIS TO THE BOARD (S.A.U.S.D.) ON TUESDAY AND THEY HEARD ME. I WILL NOT STAY QUIET NOT JUST FOR MY SON BUT FOR ALL KIDS.

  2. I am proud of the leadership of McFadden Intermediate. I was a student AND a volunteer. Principal Muniz was vice principal when I was attending McFadden Intermediate. In regards to the situation that occurred, he handled the situation like any other responsible leader would do. I won’t lie, this school has bad PR. Right now and back then when I was a student. But if you think about it, it is not the teachers, faculty and staff’s fault. It is those who have control and responsibility of the students. The parents and guardians. The type of environment that they provide at home to their child not only is reflected in the child’s behavior but also in their actions during school hours. The schools’ purpose is to provide a quality education while also providing a safe environment for each and every student. The school is not responsible to educate them in regards to their behavior. That is the parent/guardian’s job to do so. School officials are to keep everyone safe and inform parents about the student’s behavior and actions. There is a limit to what school officials can do in regards to what students do to each other. Parent teacher meetings, suspension, expulsion, detention, etc. In regards to the whole marijuana and knifes, that is also the parent’s job to monitor what the student is bringing to school. Each year, the school mails out their policies, expectations, regulations and other useful information to parents. They host parent orientation meetings. It is imprinted in the student’s agendas. There is no way that parents can say that they are not being informed if it is clearly seen that the school is taking various ways in order to get the message across to the parents. They are modernizing their communication methods by having social media accounts in where the parents can follow up with the school and be more in touch and informed. No matter what they do, fire Muniz or not, there won’t be much change if the change doesn’t start where the students spend the majority of their time, at home.

    1. I agree! It starts at home. Personally, had it been one of my kids, I wouldn’t want their business everywhere. I feel parent’s have the right to know when something significant happens at their school, but at the same time the children involved have a right to privacy. Kids getting high at a school is not solely the schools problem. Where did the kid get the drugs from? Unless the principal sold the kids the drugs, he can’t be held accountable. I’m sure the school will send a referral to Social Services and have social workers help those families. Either way, hopefully this scares all the kids into not experimenting with drugs in the future.

  3. Did you check your child’s back pack and clothing before you sent them to school? Did you check your child’s cell phone messages and social media? Do you know who your children’s friends are? Probably not.

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