FLORIDA — Two parents were arrested after their middle school-aged daughter overdosed on fentanyl at L.A. Ainger Middle School, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to a report of an unresponsive student at the school around 9:19 a.m. Tuesday. When deputies arrived, the student was on the floor receiving CPR from the school nurse.
Authorities administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, which revived the student. She was later transported to a hospital for further evaluation.
Investigators said the student had brought fentanyl to school in an essential oils bottle labeled “FENT.” According to the arrest report, the student went into a school bathroom and ingested the drug before returning to class, where she later collapsed.
The student told investigators she had previously seen her father using narcotics at home and had become curious about the drug. She said she took the bottle from a bathroom counter at her home and brought it to school.
Deputies later searched the bathroom and found traces of fentanyl on a toilet paper holder. The bottle containing fentanyl was also recovered from the student’s backpack.
The student’s mother, Courtney Delaney, 34, told deputies she had argued with the girl’s father, Joshua Sanders, 40, the day before the incident over missing fentanyl. She said she was aware Sanders used narcotics and had found drugs in the home on several occasions.
Investigators said Delaney did not remove Sanders from the residence despite the presence of narcotics around the children. Authorities said Sanders had left the bottle containing fentanyl in the bathroom near the sink.
Both Delaney and Sanders were arrested. They face one count of child neglect with great bodily harm and two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
Officials said the quick response from school staff and deputies helped save the student’s life.
