Copyright Chicago Tribune
Sixth grade students at Calumet City’s Creative Communications Academy whose teacher gave them nicotine gum last month have been reassigned to different classes, according to a Dolton District 149 letter to parents sent Thursday. Calumet City 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson posted the letter on social media and called it “nonsense,” saying moving students to different classes “adds emotional and social harm to children who have already been placed in an unsafe situation through no fault of their own.” “The accountability and corrective action must rest with the responsible adult and the system that allowed such an incident to occur, not with the victims,” Wilson said. “The affected students and their parents deserve more than reassignment; they deserve transparency, immediate access to support resources, and assurance that the teacher involved has been removed from any position that places children at risk.” Thursday’s letter to parents said “the affected students” were reassigned to other classrooms, “out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our students.” “This decision was made to ensure a positive, secure and uninterrupted learning environment for everyone,” the letter said. Dolton District 149 officials previously confirmed the teacher who gave about a dozen children pieces of nicotine gum during a class Oct. 3 was placed on administrative leave but did not respond to requests for more information Monday. The district said it is limited in what it can share due to privacy laws, but “we are cooperating fully with the appropriate parties and taking every necessary step to uphold the integrity and safety of our schools,” according to the letter signed by Superintendent Maureen White. Daphin March previously told the Daily Southtown that she picked up her son Dae’jon, who goes by DJ, from the school at about 11 a.m. Oct. 3, after he was given the gum in a prior class. She said she received a call from the nurse’s office that he was feeling nauseous. “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. 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. 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 to see if the teacher could face criminal charges. Thursday’s letter encouraged those with questions or concerns call the Lacey at 708-868-7868. District 149 also includes Caroline Sibley Elementary, Carol Moseley Braun Elementary, New Beginnings Learning Academy, Diekman Elementary, Berger-Vandenberg Elementary, the School of Fine Arts and the STEM Academy. ostevens@chicagotribune.com
