FAMILY SUED MIDDLE SCHOOL OVER PRETZELS DUSTED WITH OVEN CLEANER
A lawsuit claims crushed oven cleaner sat on a prep counter until someone mistook it for salt and dusted it on pretzels.
The pretzels went out at Fowler Middle School in Tigard, Oregon, on October 20, 2025, during sixth-grade lunch. The complaint says more than 50 students ate all or part of them.
“The bag was left on the counter, and someone mistook it for salt to put on the pretzels,” parent Kaylee Spiering told FOX 12.
On September 9, 2026, the family of a boy identified only as L.L. filed suit in Washington County Circuit Court. They are seeking up to $950,220.85.
The suit names the Tigard-Tualatin School District and Fowler Principal Cindy Pellicci, along with the lead kitchen worker. It alleges strict liability, negligence, unlawful confinement and civil-rights violations.
Burning, then back to class
The complaint says L.L. felt burning in his mouth and throat right after he bit into a pretzel. It also describes chest pain and stomach upset, plus ongoing anxiety about eating at school.
His mother told the New York Post he came home with a sore throat and stomach pain.
The lawsuit alleges he was kept in a room for roughly an hour without his parents being told. Then, it says, staff declared him asymptomatic and sent him back to class.
Poison Control was contacted about 27 minutes after staff realized what had happened, the complaint says. Parents were notified by email afterward.
The seasoning was 37 pretzels’ worth of crushed Alto-Shaam concentrated oven cleaner. The product contains sodium hydroxide, which the reports call caustic. OregonLive wrote that the usage instructions say not to crush the tablets and to use them only as directed in ovens.
The “soap” explanation
Substitute kitchen worker Chloe Larson reportedly tasted the seasoning, felt a burning sensation and went looking at the discarded packet.
According to the lawsuit, the lead kitchen worker described the material to administrators as “soap,” PEOPLE wrote. The complaint also says she gave differing explanations, including that she was in a rush and had crushed the cleaner for use on a steamer but left it out.
The family alleges the district failed to store caustic chemicals away from food and failed to train staff in handling them. It also alleges the district failed to stop crushed cleaner from being left on a prep counter.
The district has called the incident “human error.” A spokesperson told PEOPLE, “We cannot comment on pending litigation.”
No charges, no ruling
Police closed their investigation after they could not establish probable cause, KPTV reported. Officers had no kitchen photos or video to work from. The Independent noted that no criminal charges were filed.
The district confirmed the lead kitchen worker still works for it.
On October 23, 2026, the docket showed attorney Barrett Mersereau had appeared for the defendants but had not filed a substantive answer. No court has ruled on any of the allegations.
