A teacher at Calumet City’s Creative Communications Academy who allegedly gave students nicotine gum during a class has been placed on administrative leave, Dolton District 149 officials said Tuesday.
Daphin March said she picked up her son Dae’jon, who goes by DJ, from school at about 11 a.m. on Friday after receiving a call from the nurse’s office that he was feeling nauseous. She heard he had been given a piece of gum in a prior class, along with about a dozen other children.
District 149 issued a statement Tuesday that the teacher, who it did not name, was on leave while the case is reviewed.
“While we cannot comment on personnel matters or ongoing investigations, please know that our District remains committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all students,” the district said in an emailed statement. “We appreciate the understanding and trust of our community as we address this matter responsibly and with transparency.”
March said her son told her about receiving the gum.
“My son was basically the reason why they started the investigation because he kept telling me, ‘Mommy, the gum packet said ‘for people who smoke,'” March said.
March said she first thought he misread the packaging, but she took him to urgent care as he had a headache and felt his heart beating rapidly on top of feeling nauseous. She was told DJ was showing signs of nicotine poisoning and was given medicines to help.
DJ recovered, but March said she felt worried sending him back to school not knowing if the teacher who gave students the gum would be there.
She said she called Creative Communications Academy Principal Darryl Lacey, eventually learning multiple students reported feeling nauseous after chewing one or multiple pieces of nicotine gum.
The district said as soon as the issue was brought to its attention, it contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance and followed all recommended health protocols and notified families with a letter home the same day.
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“While we cannot share further details about personnel matters, please know this situation is being taken extremely seriously,” the district said.
March said she wasn’t made aware of the letter until a day later, as Lacey didn’t follow up with her until after she posted about the issue on social media.
“I said, ‘I’m kind of nervous even about letting my son go back to the school, because not only do I have to worry about my son with a student messing with him, now I’ve got to worry about teachers,'” March said she told Lacey.
March said she and other parents filed a police report and are waiting to see if the teacher could face criminal charges.
The district said it recognizes “how concerning this has been for parents, and we want to reassure our families that student safety is, and always will be, our top priority.”