Fentanyl discovered in boys' bathroom at Grasso Tech in Groton
May 2—GROTON — A staff member at Ella T. Grasso Technical High School discovered a spilled bag of fentanyl in a boys' bathroom Monday afternoon, prompting a police investigation and classroom instructions on the dangers of fentanyl and drug use.
Principal Patricia Feeney said Thursday the substance was partly contained in a bag and partly spilled on the floor. A staff member found the substance at about 1 p.m. Monday.
Feeney said the school brought in professional cleaners to clean the school.
Feeney sent a notice to all parents and staff on Tuesday explaining that a powdery substance was found in a boys' bathroom in the academic wing on Monday and state police tested and found it to be fentanyl.
"We will be visiting classrooms beginning (Wednesday) to educate all students on how to proceed if they see a suspicious substance or drugs of any kind," Feeney wrote in the message to families and staff. "We will discuss the dangers of exposure to fentanyl and use of other drugs."
School administrators, social workers and school psychologists are visiting the classrooms. Staff met with a state narcotics expert on the dangers of even small amounts of fentanyl; how small amounts can be lethal; and how it can be mixed with any other substance. Students are also being warned not to touch any suspicious substance to avoid getting it onto their skin and avoid unintentionally ingesting the substance.
Feeney said staff will patrol the bathrooms more frequently for the remainder of the school year. School officials also are discussing whether to bring police drug-detection dogs to the school.
"The most important part we are trying to convey to our staff, our parents and our kids is that safety is the top priority at our school," Feeney said.
While no security cameras are in the bathrooms, Feeney said, there are cameras outside the bathroom that showed who entered and left the bathroom. Feeney said those individuals are being interviewed.
The state police public information office issued a statement Wednesday evening saying the police investigation remains active.
"Based upon initial findings, this an isolated incident," the statement said.
