Vaping Linked to Recent School Incident
Schulenburg ISD Superintendent Julie Motomura issued a letter to parents on Tuesday, Nov. 25, regarding the incident that occurred on a school bus last Friday.
As reported in Tuesday’s paper, the bus was on its way back from a playoff game in Hutto when a student suffered a medical emergency. The student was hospitalized and later released. The school district has not disclosed the circumstances that led up to the emergency, citing student privacy laws. However, the letter sent home to parents included a document warning about the dangers of vaping and ecigarettes.
Here is Motomura’s full letter that was sent home to parents on Tuesday: “It is no secret there was a serious incident involving Schulenburg ISD last week. From the number of emails, texts, and messages the district is receiving, clearly everyone has their own idea of what it is that happened and how it should be handled.
“As I have said to you before, I will always be honest and transparent. Please understand, though, that honesty and transparency does not include me violating any federal laws or guidelines that have been set up to protect our students and district. My job as the superintendent is to always take care of the kids, the staff, and the district. And sometimes the answers I will give you in order to do that will not be what you’re hoping to get.
“Anytime any school district anywhere has an issue similar to the one we had in our district last week, they consult their attorney. We are no different. Our attorney advises us on the legal way to handle situations, so then, that’s how we handle them. At this time, our attorney has advised that no more information should be released regarding the situation we’re discussing here, so that’s what we’ll do. I will ask that you trust the district and administrators to handle this in the most professional and appropriate way because that is exactly what we will do. I realize developing trust is something that takes time, and that often people refer to the past to determine whether or not they will believe and trust people and entities.
“Please know we will continue to be diligent in our work and do the right thing – even when it’s hard - when it comes to earning your trust.
“See the following pages for more important information.
“SISD wishes you a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving filled with good food, fun, laughter, and people you love.”
The document attached to the letter stated the following: “Teens’ brains are still developing, which can make it easier for them to become addicted to nicotine. Vaping may negatively affect a teen’s attention, learning, and memory. Students may also experience coughing, wheezing, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness from vaping. For these rea- sons, Schulenburg ISD has a strict policy against vaping, including the use of e-Cigarettes. State law mandates that the use or possession of vaping devices on school premises or during school-related activities will result in a mandatory placement in the Disciplinary Alternative Education Program, regardless of whether the vape contains THC/marijuana or not, with the penalty with those containing THC being more severe.”
The document included images of various vaping devices so that parents can learn what they look like. It also included links to several online resources about the dangers of vaping.