‘It’s so Heartbreaking’: Parents Shocked, Outraged After Kindergarten Student Brings Booze to School, Shares With Classmates

A kindergarten student brought a bottle of Jose Cuervo ready-to-drink margarita to school and shared it with four classmates. (Photo: Jose Cuervo)

Parents were outraged after a kindergarten student brought alcohol to school and shared it with other students in Detroit, Michigan suburb Livonia, according to Local 4 News.

The child reportedly brought a small plastic bottle of Jose Cuervo ready-to-drink margarita and shared it with four classmates.

“So many thoughts [were] running through my mind like … what if it was open before the girl brought it to school? How much was it?” Alexis Smith, the mother of one of the children with whom the drink was shared, told Local 4 News.

Smith said she received a call from her daughter’s school on the morning of April 14. She heard the news about the bottle of Cuervo and that her daughter was one of the children who had consumed it.

“I asked her, like, ‘Is my daughter OK,’” Smith said. “The teacher said ‘she’s right here, and she looks OK’. And then I said, ‘OK, well, how much did she drink?’”

The school couldn’t answer that question.

“My daughter takes medicine,” Smith said. “First off, no kid should be drinking, and you know, just the shock itself, it burns. Like how do you feel, like anything could have happened.”

Later that day, the principal sent out a letter to the community regarding the incident, according to Local 4 News:

“Dear Grand River Academy Kindergarten Families,

“This letter is to inform you of an incident that occurred in your child’s class today. A student brought a premixed alcoholic drink to school, which was shared with a few other students

“Upon learning of this, school leadership followed proper medical protocols and parents of the students involved were contacted immediately. Disciplinary measures will be taken in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. For more information about our illegal substances policy, see pages 26-27 of the Parent Student Handbook.

“Student privacy laws prevent me from sharing specific details. What I can share is that the safety and well-being of our school community remains a priority, which is why we immediately addressed the situation.

“School leaders aim to ensure that all students are making safe and smart choices, and we actively encourage them to practice ‘hear something, see something, say something.’

“Thank you for your continued support of Grand River Academy. If you have any questions, please contact the school office at (248) 893-6100 or our Parent Relations team at (877) 642-7471.”

According to Local 4 News, a spokesperson for the school shared the following statement:

“We understand our parents’ fears and frustrations. A student did bring a pre-mixed, single-serve alcoholic beverage that was marketed as adult lemonade to school and share it with four classmates. While we try to keep an eye on everything our students bring to school, that’s simply not possible. It’s unfortunate that these types of adult beverages can be easily mistaken for child-friendly drinks.

“School staff noticed the beverage and immediately addressed the situation, which included consulting with medical professionals at poison control and calling the parents of the children involved.

“We are grateful no student became ill or needed medical attention.”

The school was closed Friday, and Smith said her daughter would not be back Monday.

“It’s so heartbreaking,” Smith said. “I feel like her first year of kindergarten was already cut short because of COVID, and situations like this just make it worse.”

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