WINSTED, Conn. - Police in Winsted are investigating reports of cupcakes tainted with a bodily fluid that were brought to school.
The police chief said the department received a complaint about suspected tainted cupcakes that were brought to The Gilbert School in Winsted.
Principal Alan Strauss told Eyewitness News he was notified that "some cupcake batter was tainted with an unconfirmed non-drug substance and given out to a few students."
Police were called to investigate. Strauss said two sets of parents spoke with police but it was unclear if any charges were pressed.
"We take all matters of disrespect, any violations of one's space or rights, or any forms of harassment very seriously and we are vigorously investigating this incident," Strauss said in a statement.
A Gilbert Senior Lena Teixeira spoke to Eyewitness News, saying two batches of cupcakes were served to students inside a classroom before the opening bell.
She says word spread that one of the batches was tainted with a bodily fluid and that specific students and a teacher were targeted to receive the tainted cupcakes.
All of the cupcakes had a "17" on them but the alleged victim also says the tainted cupcakes were marked with a dash through the seven, so that some kids would know to avoid them.
Multiple students complained to the associate principal who called police.
Teixeira says she and other students who believe they ate the tainted cupcakes were crying after the rumor spread through the school.
"I feel violated I almost feel like they took something away from me and I don't know what I did to them to deserve that, and same with all the other people, we don't understand why they had to do something like that," Teixeira said.
Lena's mom Annmarie Welty-Barre says any student involved should not be able to walk at graduation.
"She's worried about going to school and facing them tomorrow, she's worried about how she feels emotionally and I understand that it's hard for her, it's going to be hard for all those kids, they had a rough day today, I can't imagine all of them on a big day like that," Welty-Barre said.
Lena and her parents say police said one of the tainted cupcakes has been sent to the state crime lab. It's unclear when or if it will be tested.
Winsted is a section of the town of Winchester.
