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Thursday, June 8, 2023 | 
U.S. & World

Alaska children were served floor sealant instead of milk at a school program

Police are investigating how floor sealant was placed on the same pallet as the milk

By Ashley Nash
SHARE Alaska children were served floor sealant instead of milk at a school program
The Glacier Valley Elementary School is seen in Juneau, Alaska.

The Glacier Valley Elementary School is seen in Juneau, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. A dozen students and two adults were served floor sealant instead of milk at the school after containers were apparently mixed up, the superintendent said Wednesday. Several children complained of burning sensations in their mouth and throats, and at least one child was treated at the local hospital after the Tuesday morning mix-up, Superintendent Bridget Weiss said.

Ben Hohenstatt, The Juneau Empire via Associated Press

After drinking what they thought was milk, about a dozen young children at a child care program in Alaska reported that the liquid tasted bad and burned their throats. On Wednesday, school officials announced that the “milk” was actually floor sealant, according to NBC News.

The news: About a dozen children and two adults were served floor sealant that was mistaken for milk at Sitʼ Eeti Shaanáx̱-Glacier Valley Elementary in Juneau, Alaska, during a summer program, reports The Associated Press.

  • It is believed the mix-up happened because the pouches of chemicals were stacked on the same pallet as the pouches of milk, according to the Juneau Empire.
  • “We don’t know what happened, but they were all put on the same pallet,” said Superintendent Bridget Weiss, according to Business Insider.
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  • “That pallet was delivered, and the assumption was that it was milk because that’s what we thought was being delivered.”

Investigation: Police say that the event likely was just an accident, and that they don’t suspect any criminal activity.

  • However, police will lead an investigation in to the case “not really because we believe there’s anything criminal or mal-intent at this point, but we do want a thorough investigation of what happened, how it happened, and they’re trained investigators,” Weiss told The Associated Press.

No harm done: By school standards, only low ingestion risk chemicals can be used in the building, CBS News reported.

  • “That was true of the sealant, so our students are doing fine,” Weiss said. A few students had upset stomachs, but the majority of them are feeling well, according to CBS.