More than a dozen students at Rogers Middle School in Lawndale reported feeling ill Tuesday after an aerosol can a student brought was released into the air.
Paramedics and a hazardous materials team went to the campus at 4110 W. 154th St. about 11 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Students began coughing and wheezing after the AC unit was turned on.
Two children were treated for vomiting and two others were treated for "wheezing," the county fire department reported. About a dozen others were examined for complaints of nausea.
"I called (my mom) because I was scared. And plus they told us to go back in the classroom. I was like I do not feel safe so I just called my mom because I wanted to go home," seventh-grader Devon Walker said.
None of the students were in critical condition.
The hazmat team determined that there was no carbon monoxide poisoning, and preliminary indications are that fertilizer may have been the source of the odor, the county fire department reported.
News
Top news of the day
It was later revealed that a student brought an aerosol can to school that released its contents into the air, according to the district.
It wasn't immediately clear what was in the can, but a student told NBCLA that he saw another student with pepper spray.
The school says it called parents of the sick children.
But some parents said they were kept in the dark and left to figure out what happened as they passed by the school.
"So I came over and I’m like what’s going on. They said a whole class got sick, but they don’t want to tell me the details," parent Caroline Rodriguez said. "I got scared because it’s a lot of ambulances and helicopters."
Parents are demanding answers, and the district says its still trying to figure them out.
"I’m concerned. I’m going to get the word from the school first, hopefully they’ll call us and he’ll be back tomorrow," said parent Adrienne Heard.
Administrators say the spray did not have an impact on other classrooms, and the day went on as usual for the rest of the school.
Rick Montanez contributed to this report.
