ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — Two caregivers are facing charges after authorities say a middle school student overdosed on fentanyl at a Florida school.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to L.A. Ainger Middle School on March 10 for a student who was not breathing. When they arrived, they found the student unresponsive as the school nurse performed CPR.
Deputies, drawing on prior training, suspected a drug overdose and administered Narcan. Authorities say the medication helped revive the student, who was then transported to a local hospital.
Investigators later determined the student had brought fentanyl to school from her home. According to the sheriff’s office, 40-year-old Joshua Lee Sanders had a container of fentanyl in the house, which the child found on a bathroom sink and placed in her backpack.
Authorities say the student later went into a classroom bathroom, put a small amount of the substance on her finger and then onto her tongue. Despite the small amount, the effects were nearly immediate. She returned briefly to class before losing consciousness.
Detectives say Sanders and another caregiver, 34-year-old Courtney Delaney, had argued multiple times about the presence of the drug in the home prior to the incident.
“First and most importantly, I am glad to hear that the student will make a full recovery. This could have ended very, very differently if not for the fast actions taken by the school nurse and other staff, as well as my deputies,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell.
Sanders and Delaney were each arrested on three counts of child neglect, one with bodily harm and two without, due to other children living in the home.
“It is inexcusable and unforgivable that this child was able to access this poison so easily, and that’s why these arrests were made,” Prummell said. “I thank God that we were able to intervene before something even worse happened.”
Delaney’s bond is set at $25,000, while Sanders’ bond is set at $450,000.
