An eight-year-old girl has been suspended from a primary school after staff apparently found her trying to smoke marijuana in the bathroom.
The girl, who was originally suspended for 10 days but had this reduced to three, was found by an employee of the school reportedly attempting to light a plastic bag the drug was contained in.
According to the Newark Advocate, a police report on the incident stated the girl threw some of the drug into the toilet when she was discovered and attempted to throw more into a bin.
Patalaska police chief Bruce Brooks reportedly said the events were “eye-opening,” adding: “It’s a good thing she didn’t know how to [smoke the marijuana].
“She lit the [plastic] baggie instead.”
Police said they recovered a small amount of the drug and a lighter from the school bathroom and are currently attempting to find out where the child got them from. Police are working with child service officials on the case.
One of the girl’s family members reportedly told Fox28 they believe another child “planted” the drugs on the eight-year-old and “told her what to do”.
Robert Jennell, Southwest Licking Local Schools Superintendent, told Newark Advocate that the district takes the incident “very, very seriously,” but that it wants to reach out to all the organisations necessary to give the girl as much help as possible.
