No charges yet after students exposed to crack cocaine in Southwest Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A day after a student allegedly brought crack cocaine to school in Southwest Philadelphia, the principal met with parents to address their concerns.

As school got out at Mitchell Elementary on Friday, the discovery of crack cocaine was still fresh on the minds of parents.

"It's unfair that children have to be subjected to this kind of measure of things in our schools," said Ramona McCullough.

"Something has to happen with parenting for child to be able to come to school with a substance such as cocaine," said Linda Thomas.

Police were called to the school in the 5500 block of Kingsessing Avenue just before noon Thursday.

Police tell Action News a 13-year-old boy brought the drugs, packaged in tiny plastic bags then stored in a larger baggie, to school in the morning.

They say while upstairs in a restroom, he asked an 8-year-old boy to hold onto the crack until after school then meet him at a corner store where he would give him $7 for holding onto it.

"The 8-year-old kind of refused initially, but then the 13-year-old places the items into his bookbag," Lt. John Walker of the Philadelphia Police Department said.

Investigators say the 8-year-old took the baggie of drugs back to his own classroom.

There, he showed the drugs to two other students.

One of the students sniffed the drugs. The second student refused to sniff the drugs and alerted the school counselor.

Police say they found eight bags of crack on the 8-year-old and eight more in a bathroom drain.

Police served a search warrant Thursday night at the home of the 13-year-old boy.

As officers finished searching the home at the Bartram Garden Apartments, the child's mother came to his defense.

"My son has nothing to do with it. He is the 13-year-old and is in the clear on this," she said.

The 13-year-old's mother says the 8-year-old made things up.

"I don't have the slightest idea why," she said.

She says her son doesn't even know the 8-year-old.

"No he does not. He just got to this school, he is a new student to this school," she said.

"We should all be disgusted that a 13-year-old has come in contact with crack cocaine and has the wherewithal to bring that to school," said Supt. William Hite.

All the children were evaluated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and are doing well. The 13-year-old allegedly tested positive for marijuana.

Police have interviewed the parents of the 13-year-old and they deny any involvement.

No drugs were found in the 13-year-old's home.

So far no charges have been filed as detectives still try to sort things out.