Pineapple was involved in a teen crime

A seemingly innocuous lunchtime incident has taken a serious turn, resulting in three teenage girls facing felony criminal charges. The altercation, involving a pineapple, occurred at Butler Intermediate High School, where the girls intentionally exposed a classmate, severely allergic to the fruit, to it.

Despite the school’s policy of not serving pineapple due to the student’s allergy, one of the girls brought a container of pineapple in her packed lunch. The primary culprit, a 14-year-old, requested the fruit, rubbed it on her hand, and intentionally high-fived the allergic classmate, leading to the police classifying the incident as aggravated assault.

Lt. Matthew Pearson of the Butler Township Police Department emphasized the severity of the situation, noting the potential for anaphylactic shock and even death if not promptly treated. The victim, a 14-year-old, received immediate treatment and is reportedly okay.

Food allergy bullying, a growing concern, prompted Dr. Allison Freeman, an Allergist-Immunologist, to highlight the seriousness of such actions. However, attorney Mike Santicola suggested that the legal charges may be excessive, likening the incident to a prank rather than an intentional act causing harm.

While the school district refrained from commenting on the specific incident, it emphasized the expectation for students to respect each other, promising appropriate disciplinary action when necessary. The 14-year-old faces charges including aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person, while two others, aged 13 and 14, are also charged for allegedly assisting in the assault.