DAVENPORT, Iowa — Several emergency vehicles were at Williams Intermediate School in Davenport, Iowa Friday afternoon, April 1, 2016 after a can of pepper spray went off in the school's lunch room where 60 students were having lunch.
Dawn Saul, the school's communication director, said 26 students were taken to the hospital by ambulance following complaints of respiratory issues after the pepper spray went off during the last lunch period. As of 3 p.m., most students had already been treated and released. Saul said the pepper spray did not appear to be aimed at a particular student, and police are still investigating the incident.
Many parents said they were not happy that the district didn't inform them of the incident.
"Its just very upsetting that I didn't get called or you know parents didn't get some kind of automated message to their phones or whatever, a text message or something," said parent, Amber Timmerman.
Saul says the district wanted to first take of of student and then get all the correct information before alerting parents.
The school let students out at their regular time but some parents took their kids home early.