Jacksonville: Parents notice increased security on school campus following pepper spray incident

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Juanita Youmans dropped her son off at Highlands Middle School, Monday morning for the first time since chaos involving pepper spray broke out, Friday.

She told Action News Jax, “My son is one of the ones that went to the hospital.”

At the end of last week, Action News Jax reported when first responders took 41 students to local hospitals after, according to district leaders, pepper spray was dispersed in the gym during seventh grade physical education class.

“They’re supposed to be checking them today and they’re supposed to be going through the metal detectors,” Youmans said.

According to the mom she’s happy to hear about the added safety measures on campus, but is still upset about the confusion in notifying parents.

She explained, “I was in the front office for at lease 30 minutes and I asked twice whether my son had been transported. Both times they told me no.”

Youmans said she got a different story when she called her seventh grader’s cellphone and a Jacksonville Fire Rescue lieutenant said they were already at the hospital.

“I said, ‘So in other words you’ve already been gone for at least 25 to 30 minutes and I’ve been in this front office this whole time.’ That’s what made me mad,” she said.

Youmans said she’d like to see a district-wide change to improve notification of parents during emergencies.

“It was more of the communication route, that was the part they really need to work on,” she said.

Action News Jax reached out to a district spokesperson for an update on the incident and who, if anyone would face charges.

Any response will be posted in this article.

© 2020 Cox Media Group