Boy suspended for allegedly exposing teacher to allergy

SOUTH ORANGE, New Jersey (AP) -- A sixth-grader was suspended after school officials accused him of threatening to expose a highly allergic teacher to peanut butter cookies, the boy's father said Thursday.

Loubert Gabriel said his son, 12-year-old Jules, had been kept out of class since April 2, after a girl in his social studies class at South Orange Middle School told the teacher that Jules had made the threat.

The father said Jules was carrying a snack packet of Nutter Butter cookies and did make a comment about having "something dangerous" but never said he had a weapon. "They mishandled this," Gabriel said.

Gabriel said the boy has not been allowed to return to classes pending a May 13 hearing by the district. The family had believed the suspension would be for 10 days, he said.

School district officials declined to comment Thursday.

Ingestion of even a morsel of peanut can cause people who are allergic to suffer severe reactions, from throat irritation to death. Gabriel said the teacher was not exposed to the cookies and had no reaction.