Pittsfield — With a sixth-grade daughter attending Pittsfield’s Herberg Middle School, resident Kaitlyn Pierce said she was concerned to hear her child say that allegedly a student brought cannabis in an edible form, allegedly brownies, to the school before noon on May 16. For days, she looked for information, a statement or news release from the facility or school district explaining what had happened.

However, it wasn’t until she requested an explanation from Principal William Wood that she received confirmation of the alleged incident through a May 22 email at 9:28 a.m., six days after its occurrence. That email was followed by a voicemail at 10:47 a.m. which appeared to be phoned to the Herberg community.

“It was reported that one student provided two other students with a cannabis-infused edible,” Wood stated in the voicemail. “This administration and the school nurse acted immediately to ensure the health and safety of all students involved. The students who received the edible were promptly provided with appropriate medical care. Disciplinary measures against the student have been implemented in accordance with the district’s code of conduct. The Pittsfield Police Department was also notified immediately and is conducting an independent investigation. It will take any further action deemed necessary under the law.”

He stated the activity was determined to be “an isolated incident” and asked parents to remind their children to never accept food or drink from other students “under any circumstances.”

In response to Pierce’s email request for information, Wood corresponded that his staff began investigating the alleged incident “immediately upon it being reported” and initially had several conflicting reports, delaying posting the occurrence to parents “to ensure the statement that went out was factual and in tandem with district and community supports.”

Pierce told The Berkshire Edge that she doesn’t blame the school for the incident occurring “because that’s not really something that they could know what’s going to happen.”

“I’m upset that nobody informed parents,” she said. “I understand that they probably had some process they were going through to make sure they found all the students impacted but to not inform parents is just wrong.”

For Pierce, the concern wasn’t so much the cannabis but the potential for other foods laced with potent drugs distributed to preteens.

“What if it wasn’t cannabis?” she said. “What if there was a child who had some kind of adverse reaction?” 

The Berkshire Edge reached out to the Pittsfield School District and Pittsfield Police Department for comment and more information, including whether a student or students received medical care as a result of the incident, but did not receive a response by press time.

This is a developing story.