Television actors Scott and Marika Foley are suing Connecticut’s Westport Public Schools after their son ate TCH-laced candy that was found on a school bus transporting him and his peers.
According to the suit, which was filed earlier this month in Stamford Superior Court, the chocolate candy that their son and another child consumed was laced with Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical in cannabis that causes consumers to become high.
The Foleys, and another parent – Elizabeth Carpenter – who is also listed as a plaintiff, say the students had to be treated at both an urgent care facility in Westport, and at Norwalk Hospital due to illness brought on by the cannabis chocolate.
The two children complained to their nanny about an hour after consuming the laced candy that they were feeling confused and dizzy.
The caretaker became worried that the kids had ‘eaten something that they should not have eaten.’
When the Foleys arrived back at their home, they say they noticed their son’s friend had ‘lost all of the color from her face,’ and had sunken eyes with ‘dark circles under them.’
Their own child, they described as looking ‘sickly’ and ‘lethargic.’
The Foleys – Marika (left) and Scott (right) – successful television actors, have brought suit against the Westport, Connecticut school district, as well as several others after their child mistakenly consumed weed-infused candy on a school bus
The Foley’s child, as well as a friend of his, became seriously ill after eating what they believed was normal chocolate that another elementary school student had found on the bus
In addition to the Westport Board of Education, the school district’s superintendent, Thomas Scarice, and the DATTCO bus company are also named as defendents in the suit.
The suit describes the several agonizing hours that the children spent at the hospital, during which the Foleys were unsure whether they would survive. They both did and returned to school several days later – though they did remain under the influence for 36 hours.
The Foleys, both of whom have had significant roles on Grey’s Anatomy and other Shondaland shows, allege that the school district was not entirely transparent with them about the serious nature of the incident.
The lawsuit claims that lack of transparency has resuletd in emotional distress for the children and parents. The incident occurred nearly one year ago, on Decmber 12, 2022.
Following the incident, the couple claims that their child ‘would come home and tell us that principal [Kimberly] Ambrosio would ask him not to speak about what happened; both children were being bullied and called drug addicts; and the rumors were flying because there was no message from the school district as to what happened.’
‘Our family, the victims of this terrible incident, have been treated as if we are the criminals or perpetrators of some offense. No one from the school or district called to check in on the well being of [the children].’
Another student at Long Lots Elementary in Westport found the bag on the bus that contained what looked like regular candy and gave it to the two students who became ill, alleges the suit.
DATTCO, the bus company used by Westport schools in 2022, was to supposed to have its drivers check buses for sleeping children following each drop-off run, but that did not happen the day the incident occurred.
A 15-year-old Staples High School student admitted to the police to leaving the bag on the bus, which had been used for a high school run before going to pick up the younger students.
The company disciplined the driver of the bus, but has refused to release the complete surveillance video footage from the vehicle on the day the kids ingested the weed-infused candy.
The DATTCO bus company is also listed as a defendent in the suit. Its driver did not perform the required safety check on the vehicle before picking up the elementary school students who found the bag of weed candy
Westport School District Superintendent Thomas Scarice, who the Foleys allege attempted to cover up the incident by not addressing the community
Superintendent Scarice, who is paid more than $300,000 annually to oversee the Westport School District, was reluctant to make the school community aware of the details of what happened on the school bus, says the suit.
He claimed, in part, that another child who had also ingested some of the candy had parents who did not want the matter to be disclosed or publicized.
Eventually, Scarice sent out a statement to Westport parents calling the incident ‘a terrifying sign of the times and a traumatic experience for the students and families involved.’
Though he did not go into great detail about the incident, he wrote: ‘I want to emphasize to families that it is especially important for those caring for our youngest students to remind their children not to consume candy, chocolate, or other food from unknown sources.’
‘Education must now include ensuring that our youngest children understand the importance of avoiding candy, chocolate, and other foods that they find at school, on a school bus, or somewhere else in the community, or that is offered to them by someone they do not know or do not know well.’
The families are seeking unspecified compensation that will include their legal feels, punitive, legal and equitable damages.