Seven students at B.C. Rain High School in Mobile, Alabama, reportedly became ill after eating brownies handed out by a teacher during a class celebration on Monday, August 31.
The brownies were allegedly made with mayonnaise in place of cooking oil, according to a source within the Mobile County Public School System. However, school officials have stressed that the baked goods have not been confirmed as the cause of the students’ symptoms.
Erica Buford, whose son is a freshman at the school, said the treats were offered as a reward after pupils achieved good grades. She told local media that her son complained of feeling heavy, tired and unwell after eating one.
Buford said he also experienced chest pain and was collected from school early. She described another pupil falling and suffering what she said appeared to be a locked leg before being taken to hospital.
“The kids, they made good grades on Friday. And that’s the reason he brought the treats,” Buford said.
Her son told News 5 that other students who had eaten the brownies also began to feel unwell. Buford said she was angered by suggestions that the pupils may have been vaping or using cannabis.
“Oh, it’s the kids. They were vaping. No, nobody had a vape. No weed, nothing in their system, no drugs,” she said.
The Mobile County Public School System said the number of affected pupils may have been lower than initially reported. Rena Philips, the district’s director of communications, said 25 students had attended the class party and five had become sick.
Philips added that the students were tested for drugs, with all results returning negative. A statement issued by B.C. Rain High School said no illegal substances had been found and urged parents and members of the school community not to share unverified claims on social media.
The Mobile County Health Department has contacted the school district and is looking into the incident, according to local reports. Police and families are also understood to be co-operating with the investigation.
Investigation continues at B.C. Rain High School
Sherry McDade, the Mobile County school board member representing the area, said the cause of the illnesses remained under investigation.
“Our parents have concerns. As a parent myself, I know that there’s a great concern,” McDade said. “But again, B.C. Rain High School did what they were supposed to do. They executed to perfection. And parents, we have your children’s best interests at heart.”
Buford disputed that assessment, saying she felt staff had not done enough to support the affected pupils after they began feeling ill.
“They didn’t come around and say, hey, do they need this? You know, some water or a rag,” she said.
The teacher has not been placed on leave or faced any reported disciplinary action while inquiries continue. McDade said teachers bringing homemade food into classrooms had been a longstanding practice, describing it as a way of rewarding pupils.
Mayonnaise is sometimes used in baking because it contains oil and eggs, and can be substituted for cooking oil or eggs in some recipes. That does not establish that it caused the students’ illnesses in this case.
Buford said she kept her son at home on Tuesday because the teacher was expected to remain at school. The district has not publicly identified the educator.
