Fairfield Elementary School was placed on a brief lockdown last Thursday, Oct. 15, after a high school student on campus ate a wild mushroom he found outside and experienced a medical emergency, according to school officials.
Rockbridge County Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and the student was taken to the hospital.
The student was attending the Pathways Program, an alternative learning environment that is on the school’s grounds, according to Rockbridge County’s director of secondary instruction and alternative education, Vicki Stevens.
Stevens said the incident happened while students were on a break outside. School officials immediately called Poison Control, which recommended the student be evaluated at the hospital. The student was released from the hospital later that day. Stevens did not say what sort of medical emergency the student experienced or what type of mushroom the student ate.
Stevens said school officials have since talked to students about the dangers of eating things found in the wild.
“We’ve reinforced with our students the dangers of this type of activity. Obviously, the other students were aware that the student became ill and saw the rescue squad arrive to take him to the hospital,” Stevens said.
The Pathways program was implemented this fall and provides an alternative environment for students who need tailored support and assists students during shortterm out-of-school suspensions.
Students attending the Pathways program are taught in a separate building on the Fairfield campus.
Fairfield Principal Michael Loret sent a voicemail to parents to alert them of the situation because of the EMS response to the school.
“I want to assure you that there was no threat to the safety of any other students or staff,” Loret said in a call to parents. “The lockdown was simply a precautionary measure to minimize disruption and prevent students from witnessing the emergency response. We understand that hearing about a lockdown or seeing emergency vehicles on campus can be concerning.”
There are an estimated 2,700 wild mushroom species in Virginia, several of which are poisonous, according to the University of Virginia. They can cause a range of side effects including nausea, neurological symptoms, seizures and even death.
Rockbridge County Agriculture Extension agent Tom Stanley said recent rain from the remnants of Hurricane Isaias likely caused mushrooms to spawn very quickly.
“Those spores are present in the soil and they’re just waiting for the right combination of temperature, humidity and moisture to germinate,” Stanley said.
Stanley said youths might think that plants are safe to eat from their gardens at home, but parents should warn them to avoid eating anything they don’t recognize.
