Smell Made High Schoolers, Teacher Ill

A number of students at Harry S. Truman High School felt sick after they were hit with a foul “chemical-like” odor.

Several parents and students who spoke to LevittownNow.com said the incident happened last Wednesday. They also said some of their peers ended up seeking treatment at the hospital or family doctor’s office, but this news organization was unable to directly speak with any of students who sought treatment at a medical facility or their parents.

The word of the incident began circulating late last week and made it social media, causing numerous posts confirming the incident over the weekend.

The Bristol Township School District released a statement Monday afternoon that said students in woodshop class used a lacquer that caused “some students to experience headaches.” They also noted they were aware one teacher sought medical attention at an urgent care facility.

“We have no confirmation that students sought medical attention outside of school,” district spokesperson Leza Raffel said.

While it was not released what type of lacquer was used, they often contain chemicals that could be health hazards, especially if inhaled in high quantity or in a space that is not well ventilated.

The smell, according to Raffel, dissipated within 10 minutes.

Joe Lepley Jr., a senior, said he first noticed the smell while in class early last Wednesday afternoon.

“I brushed it off at first thinking someone may have been spray painting for a project or something like that,” he said.

Shortly after, a “blistering headache” began and Lepley ended up being out of school Thursday with continuing head pain and stomach issues, causing him to throw up. In the days since, he has suffered acute headaches, but the stomach pain has gone away.

He did put a call into his doctor.

Lepley’s mother, Kim, said she was upset the school did not notify her of the chemical discharge after it happened.

“He was home and [the administration] didn’t say something happened at the school. Usually, an automated voice message goes out for a crash, high winds, activities, tests, but a chemical is released in the school and nothing,” she said. “I was upset they didn’t notify us.”

The high school senior said he has since filed a report with the school nurse’s office but had concerns it was not taken seriously. He also said a teacher was the one who advised him of what caused the chemical odor after he returned to class on Friday.