50 middle school students were served pretzels with oven cleaner as seasoning, lawsuit alleges

50 middle school students were served pretzels with oven cleaner as seasoning, lawsuit alleges The lawsuit claims strict liability, negligence, unlawful confinement and violations of civil rights. - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in More than 50 middle school students in Oregon were fed pretzels that were seasoned with crushed oven cleaner last fall, according to a newly filed lawsuit. About 37 pretzels coated with Alto-Cham concentrated oven cleaner — an industrial-strength caustic chemical made with sodium hydroxide — were served during sixth-grade lunch at Fowler Middle School in Tigard, a suburb of Portland, on October 20, 2025, according to a nearly $1 million lawsuit filed last month. More than 50 students ate all or part of the impacted pretzels, according to Tigard-Tualatin School District records obtained by Fox 12. The school district said the tainted pretzels were the result of “human error,” and that a kitchen worker thought the chemical cleaner was salt. Tigard Police reviewed the case last year, but did not file criminal charges. The lawsuit names the school district, the lead kitchen worker who made the error and Fowler Middle School Principal Cindy Pellicci, according to the report. The suit claims strict liability, negligence, unlawful confinement and violations of civil rights. It seeks up to $950,220.85. The student at the center of the lawsuit, identified as L.L., ate one of the tainted pretzels and immediately felt burning in his mouth and throat, as well as chest pain and an upset stomach, according to the report. According to the lawsuit, poison control was not contacted until nearly half an hour after staff realized what had happened — and families were not notified until nearly two hours later. The lawsuit claims that L.L. was kept in a room for about an hour, where he was examined and monitored without his parents being told. He was later sent back to class after staff said he was asymptomatic, even though he came home with a sore throat and stomach pain. The lawsuit accuses the district of failing to store caustic chemicals away from food, failing to train staff on handling them and allowing a crushed cleaner to be left on a kitchen counter and be used as seasoning. According to the lawsuit, a substitute kitchen worker, Chloe Larson, first noticed the chemical was being used as seasoning and had to push the lead kitchen worker to investigate. The lawsuit alleges that Larson was only interviewed after she contacted police about her concerns. According to the report, police concluded their investigation into the incident that same day, saying they had no kitchen photos or video and could not establish probable cause. The lawsuit also claims that L.L.’s family was cut out of medical decisions and that the student was exposed to a known danger. The school district told KPTV it cannot comment on pending litigation. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments