A Florence mother wants to know who is watching what happens in bathrooms and other secluded areas of schools where children are known to perform inappropriate behavior.
To safeguard the identity of her 17-year-old son, the 44-year-old parent refuses to give her name.
She claims her son became ill after vaping in a washroom with several students on Monday at Wilson High School.
The parent claims her son had an instant negative response and had to be rushed to the hospital by Florence County EMS.
“When I got to the school, my son was sitting in the nurse’s station. It was like he was paralyzed or something. He couldn’t move. His lips were swollen, and he was slurring. They were trying to figure out what was going on, but they ended up calling the ambulance,” the mother said.
According to the woman, the school nurse informed her that two other pupils had been hospitalized after becoming ill as a result of vaping in the restroom.
She claims doctors performed multiple tests on her kid, including drug testing, but discovered nothing.
Within a few hours, he felt better.
“It was like everything just wore off. Whatever it was,” the mother said. “He was able to stand up and walk. His mouth was still slurring a little when he spoke, but even the hospital couldn’t figure out what it was.”
The parent is concerned about who is monitoring the bathrooms, especially when pupils are supposed to be in class.
“Why aren’t they monitoring the restrooms closely to know what’s going on? That’s probably one of the first places kids go when they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing,” the mother said.
Florence One Schools placed 12 vaping detectors at all three high schools five years ago, in what officials described were strategic places.
The gadgets can detect traces of e-cigarettes, THC, carbon monoxide, and other potentially harmful compounds. They also have microphones that can pick up sounds like as bullying, gunshots, smashing glass, and more.
The parent reports that her kid has been suspended pending a hearing with district administration.
She says she’s not unhappy about it.
“That’s not something they should be doing at school, vaping. They shouldn’t be doing that. So that part, he just has to suffer the consequences of his actions,” the mother said.
However, she says she will not give up on finding out who is watching the bathrooms and other locations where students hang out when they are not in class.
She also wants to view any surveillance footage from Monday, when the incident with her kid occurred.
