SAN JOSE (BCN) — A 13-year-old girl was cited for releasing pepper spray into a classroom at a San Jose middle school Tuesday morning in an incident that sent a student to a hospital, police said.
The teenage girl, who is enrolled at the school, was cited for being a juvenile in possession of tear gas and released to her parents, according to police.
Fire crews inspecting the campus around 9:30 a.m. were pulled over by school staff to check on students who complained about an irritant, fire Capt. Mitch Matlow said.
The classroom was cleared and a hazardous materials crews responded to the school, which is located on Sylvandale Avenue just east of Senter Road, according to Matlow.
One student was taken to a hospital for minor distress related to the substance, which turned out to be pepper spray, Matlow said.
Eleven other students complained of pain that subsided once they went outdoors, but didn’t need medical attention, according to Matlow.
The hazardous materials team found the pepper spray canister and decontaminated the classroom for about an hour before students were allowed to return, Matlow said.