Eden Prairie police look into reports of preschool teacher handing out gummies that made kids drowsy

Police are investigating a preschool in Eden Prairie over concerns that a teacher gave kids gummies that made them sleepier than usual.

The Eden Prairie Police Department began looking into Jardín Spanish Immersion Academy after receiving a report on March 28 that a female employee had given out gummies before naptime, according to a search warrant.

Parents told police the gummies their children received were “gum drop shaped, bluish purple, have a white sugar coating, and turn their tongue blue,” the filing states. The employee told the kids not to tell anyone about the gummies.

“Parents had reported their children feeling sleepier and napping during the day when they normally wouldn’t,” the filing states.

When questioned by police on March 31, the employee said she had given Welch’s fruit snacks after class time once and that they did not contain melatonin.

An officer reviewed surveillance footage from March 27 with the preschool’s vice president — who has since been promoted to president — and saw the employee get something from her pocket and hold it out with her hand. The filing describes a child taking the item and putting it in their mouth.

Giving children consumable items was against the preschool’s policy due to the possibility of an allergic reaction or adverse side effects, the filing states.

As part of the search warrant, the officer obtained a copy of the Jardin policy handbook, the employee’s personnel file, and surveillance footage of the playground and pre-K classroom to investigate whether the employee “is engaged in ongoing concerning and potentially negligent behavior.”

In a statement Wednesday, Jardín said the employee has been placed on administrative leave.

“We take these allegations very seriously and immediately launched an internal investigation into the matter as soon as we learned of it,” Jardín said.

The preschool said it notified the Minnesota Department of Health and is “fully cooperating” with police.

“The safety and care of our students is our absolute highest priority and any conduct that compromises that commitment is contrary to our values, our policies and our community,” Jardín said. “When we have reason to believe a member of our team is falling short of that standard, we will take immediate and effective corrective action.”

As of Wednesday, the employee has not been arrested or charged.