Crime & Safety
Small Pepper Spray Can Goes Off in Ben Franklin Middle School
Students evacuated while crews ventilated the building, police said.
A small pepper spray container discharged in Benjamin Franklin Middle School late Thursday morning, forcing school officials to evacuate the building as crews cleared the air.
According to Ridgewood Police Cpt. Jacqueline Luthcke, at about 11:15 a.m. a small pepper spray bottle on the keychain of a district staff member accidentally discharged while she was playing with her keys. Students evacuated the second floor of the building for about a half hour while the air was cleared.
EMS and school medical staff checked out the students in the classroom where the incident occurred. No injuries were reported.
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No charges were filed against the adult, whom police did not identify.
"It really wasn't a big deal," Luthcke commented.
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Superintendent Dan Fishbein did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a letter to parents, he wrote that "the Ridgewood Public Schools takes all precautions to ensure the safety of all of our students at all times."
Updated at 2:55 p.m. to include statements from Fishbein's letter to parents.
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