Schoolkids fall ill from garden’s mushrooms

An incident that resulted in elementary school students being sickened this week after eating mushrooms appears to have been an accident and not an intentional act to harm them, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District said Friday.

A small group of students became ill Wednesday at Micheltorena Street Elementary School after eating vegetables from a community garden during a lesson on the Silver Lake campus, adjacent to Sunset Boulevard, school officials said.

“We wish the affected children a speedy recovery, and remain dedicated to the safety and well-being of all of our students,” L.A. schools Supt. Michelle King said in a statement.

The district confirmed that students are thought to have eaten mushrooms, even though official statements refer only to students sampling “vegetables.”

The mushrooms were growing in the garden and no harm had been intended, said district spokeswoman Shannon Haber.

Later, the garden was closed to students, and the district’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety is investigating the matter.