Investigation Underway After 26 People Were Injured in Pepper Spray Incident at College Point Collaborative Middle School in Queens
COLLEGE POINT, QUEENS (March 9, 2025) – At least 26 people were injured after pepper spray was released into the cafeteria of College Point Collaborative Middle School in Queens.
New York City officials are saying that the incident occurred around 12:45 PM on Friday. A caller reported to police that someone released pepper spray inside of the cafeteria at the school.
Several students at College Point Collaborative Middle School were having a difficult time breathing. The FDNY said that 26 people were injured, including 11 students who needed to be taken to the hospital.
Authorities believe that a student at College Point Collaborative Middle School may have released the pepper spray. A full investigation remains ongoing.
Liability for Attacks at New York City Schools
Pepper spray consists of a potent blend of chemicals that can cause serious respiratory distress in people. According to StatPearls, “Tear gas and pepper spray are a group of heterogeneous agents known under broader categories as riot control agents, harassing agents, incapacitating agents, or lacrimators. Although initially utilized by the military in World War I, they are now used for personal protection or by law enforcement agencies as a non-lethal option for subduing combative subjects as well as crowd control.” There are many types of injuries associated with pepper spray incidents.
- Temporary blindness
- Corny libations
- Asthma attack
- Chemical burns
- Chronic respiratory issues
- Scarring
- Psychological injuries
Schools have a legal obligation to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. They must enforce all rules and regulations necessary for the safety of the children that they look after. Consider, for example, A.V. v New York City Dept. of Educ. Schools must adequately supervise students at all portions of the day. If a school fails to supervise students who are injured in some type of incident, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. It is important that certain steps are taken after any injury in the school setting.
- Medical records related to the incident should be preserved.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- A thorough investigation should be conducted.
- An experienced personal injury attorney should be contacted.
Chemical exposure in a school setting is often highly preventable. It tends to be the result of school officials who fail to follow safety protocols. Sadly, though, schools will often do everything in their power to deny liability if students in their care are injured. This is why it is so important that injury victims seek the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney can evaluate all the unique facts of any injury in a school setting and get to the bottom of what contributed to the incident.
Getting Legal Help for New York City School Injuries
We at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. extend our best wishes to all of the people injured at the College Point Collaborative Middle School. It is our sincere hope that all the victims will be able to make a full recovery. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to the NYPD. Steps need to be put in place to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured at College Point Collaborative Middle School? You may be entitled to financial compensation through a personal injury claim. Our team of school accident attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We are focused on helping accident victims and holding school districts accountable for their negligent actions. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident, we’re here for you. You can contact our office anytime at (516) 908-9792.
