20 Overcome by Pepper Spray Fumes at High School

About 20 students and staff personnel at a Glendale high school were taken to hospitals Wednesday with various complaints after a student’s vial of pepper spray discharged, apparently by accident, officials said.

None of the Herbert Hoover High School students and staff--who experienced headaches and eye, throat and stomach irritations--suffered serious injury, Fire Department and school officials said.

“The worst symptom was vomiting,” said Battalion Chief Dave Starr, a Fire Department spokesman.

Vic Pallos, a school system spokesman, said the container of pepper spray, designed for self-defense, was attached to a female student’s key chain when another student grabbed for it, causing the spray to discharge.

It appeared that the students were involved in some sort of prank, he said.

“The amount that was discharged, we believe, was small, but the pepper spray was strong enough to get into the ventilation system and affect several classrooms,” Pallos said.

About 100 students complained of discomfort, school officials said.

Pallos said that although it is legal to carry pepper spray, it is not allowed on school campuses.

The two students involved, both seniors, were suspended for five days and could be expelled after a school district review, he said.