TX - Elementary school student hospitalized after mother spikes Gatorade out of revenge for bullying - 3/7/24

[Clearsky]

MSN

Jennifer Lynn Rossi, 45, is said to have mixed lemon juice, vinegar, salt and Gatorade in a sports bottle on Tuesday and then told her son to give it to a classmate who had stolen his drink the day before, according to an arrest warrant affidavit seen by ABC News' San Antonio affiliate KSAT.

 

[borndem]

I can see why mom was angry, but surely there were other avenues she could have taken. Perhaps talking to the schoolmaster or principal, or parent, etc.
Surely the classmate who drank the weird concoction is okay by now, but.. wouldn't this make him angrier and perhaps make him be even meaner?

 

[iamshadow21]

I can see why mom was angry, but surely there were other avenues she could have taken. Perhaps talking to the schoolmaster or principal, or parent, etc.
Surely the classmate who drank the weird concoction is okay by now, but.. wouldn't this make him angrier and perhaps make him be even meaner?

Depends how much salt was in it. Since the child was hospitalised, I wonder about their kidneys.

MOO

 

[airportwoman]

I wonder if there were other ingredients that weren't listed, and THIS is what landed the boy in the hospital.

 

[Dre]

I wonder if there were other ingredients that weren't listed, and THIS is what landed the boy in the hospital.

Right, I’m wondering the same- had it been the high salt content you’d think he’d only have to taste one sip before going off on the kid that gave it to him..
Moo

 

[ChatteringBirds]

An elementary-school-aged child stealing a drink one time -- that is not bullying.

 

[LadyL]

An elementary-school-aged child stealing a drink one time -- that is not bullying.

why? is there a certain amount of times it has to happen before it becomes bullying?

 

[ChatteringBirds]

why? is there a certain amount of times it has to happen before it becomes bullying?

I guess in my opinion, yes.

A child took something from my son. We didn't feel like that was bullying but rather a teaching moment. His mom had him return it. No big deal.

When another boy was taunting and making fun of our son day after day at school, and encouraging others to join, that felt like bullying.

I think if a child stole this woman's son's drink once, even if in a mean way, her reaction should not have been that he was bullying her son but to wonder -- Did he forget his drink that day and was thirsty? Was he perhaps jealous of the special drink? Or maybe he just needs to learn something here?

 

[airportwoman]

Right, I’m wondering the same- had it been the high salt content you’d think he’d only have to taste one sip before going off on the kid that gave it to him..
Moo

For me, the tip-off wouldn't be the salt, but rather the vinegar. You don't have to put much of that in a drink for it to "flavor" it.

 

[DeDee]

What did she tell her son to do after she mixed Gatorade with lemon juice, salt and vinegar? Was she attempting to poison the guy?

Do not try these at home:
Vinegar and Salt Cleaning Solution:

• Mix vinegar and salt together to create a chemical reaction.
• This reaction produces hydrogen chloride, water, and sodium acetate.
• Use this mixture for various cleaning tasks:
  • Wine Stain Removal: Apply to wine stains, then rinse with vinegar before washing.
  • Chimney Maintenance: Throw salt into fireplaces while burning wood to keep the chimney clean.
  • Mildew Control: Mix lemon juice and salt (1:1) to manage mildew in bathrooms and kitchens.

Lemon juice and vinegar - A natural weed killer

 

[iamshadow21]

What did she tell her son to do after she mixed Gatorade with lemon juice, salt and vinegar? Was she attempting to poison the guy?

Do not try these at home:
Vinegar and Salt Cleaning Solution:

• Mix vinegar and salt together to create a chemical reaction.
• This reaction produces hydrogen chloride, water, and sodium acetate.
• Use this mixture for various cleaning tasks:
  • Wine Stain Removal: Apply to wine stains, then rinse with vinegar before washing.
  • Chimney Maintenance: Throw salt into fireplaces while burning wood to keep the chimney clean.
  • Mildew Control: Mix lemon juice and salt (1:1) to manage mildew in bathrooms and kitchens.

Lemon juice and vinegar - A natural weed killer

Salt and Vinegar are traditional seasoning on chips, both of the French fry and crisps varieties. Not lethal. Just tangy.

MOO

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

The article clarifies that the drink wasn't toxic, but the child was taken to hospital and kept in for monitoring because he felt sick and they weren't initiallly sure what had caused it.

It sounds a lot like old "revenge" methods such as adding laxatives to a bully's food. Not acceptable in today's society, or ever, really. But something that would have been considered "teaching them a lesson" not so long ago.

 

[borndem]

Right, I’m wondering the same- had it been the high salt content you’d think he’d only have to taste one sip before going off on the kid that gave it to him..
Moo

Very good point, Dre. Hoping the boy is back home and okay.

 

[LadyL]

For me, the tip-off wouldn't be the salt, but rather the vinegar. You don't have to put much of that in a drink for it to "flavor" it.

Salt and Vinegar are traditional seasoning on chips, both of the French fry and crisps varieties. Not lethal. Just tangy.

MOO

The article clarifies that the drink wasn't toxic, but the child was taken to hospital and kept in for monitoring because he felt sick and they weren't initiallly sure what had caused it.

It sounds a lot like old "revenge" methods such as adding laxatives to a bully's food. Not acceptable in today's society, or ever, really. But something that would have been considered "teaching them a lesson" not so long ago.

wouldn't it be so terrible that the victim would not drink very much? or spit it out as soon as it was in their mouth?

seems strange that the victim ended up in the hospital but I've never drank such a concoction

 

[LadyL]

I guess in my opinion, yes.

A child took something from my son. We didn't feel like that was bullying but rather a teaching moment. His mom had him return it. No big deal.

When another boy was taunting and making fun of our son day after day at school, and encouraging others to join, that felt like bullying.

I think if a child stole this woman's son's drink once, even if in a mean way, her reaction should not have been that he was bullying her son but to wonder -- Did he forget his drink that day and was thirsty? Was he perhaps jealous of the special drink? Or maybe he just needs to learn something here?

I totally get what you're saying but I still consider it bullying, whether it's the first time or multiple
the 'teaching moment' is to show the 'bully' that they can't treat anyone like that, even if it's just once IMO

 

[borndem]

wouldn't it be so terrible that the victim would not drink very much? or spit it out as soon as it was in their mouth?

seems strange that the victim ended up in the hospital but I've never drank such a concoction

It is a bit strange... It may be that it didn't taste good, and the one who drank it was suspicious and worried that it was harmful. Then, perhaps, a panic attack, and the parents didn't want to take any chances.

 

[musicaljoke]

Salt and Vinegar are traditional seasoning on chips, both of the French fry and crisps varieties. Not lethal. Just tangy.

MOO

And the main ingredients for making pickles.

 

[iamshadow21]

And the main ingredients for making pickles.

Yeah, I haven't made pickles (like, gherkins), but I've made a lot of chutney and relishes. Salty/sour isn't just for flavour, it's what helps preserve the end product. Salting, sugaring, drying, alcohol, and smoking were the main ways of preserving things before canning, refrigeration, and modern preservatives were invented.

Now, if you drank a lot of a very salty thing you would probably feel unwell, but a little? Gatorade is naturally salty, to help with electrolytes. A lot of commercially bottled Kombucha has vinegar added. Athletes all over the world drink pickle juice shots to help prevent cramping late in a game (you see it a lot at the tennis).

Salt and Vinegar added to a drink are going to be unpleasant, but probably not dangerous unless a lot was consumed or something more dangerous to health was added.

MOO

 

[cruwalniz]

Yeah, I haven't made pickles (like, gherkins), but I've made a lot of chutney and relishes. Salty/sour isn't just for flavour, it's what helps preserve the end product. Salting, sugaring, drying, alcohol, and smoking were the main ways of preserving things before canning, refrigeration, and modern preservatives were invented.

Now, if you drank a lot of a very salty thing you would probably feel unwell, but a little? Gatorade is naturally salty, to help with electrolytes. A lot of commercially bottled Kombucha has vinegar added. Athletes all over the world drink pickle juice shots to help prevent cramping late in a game (you see it a lot at the tennis).

Salt and Vinegar added to a drink are going to be unpleasant, but probably not dangerous unless a lot was consumed or something more dangerous to health was added. According to statistics, most people who consume salty foods or chips do not have health problems. Only excessive consumption can lead to negative consequences, causing an increase in blood pressure and increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. I came across this data for a college assignment and used https://edubirdie.com/statistics-help for that. Since then, I began tracking various indicators of consumption to assess how it affects the body.

MOO

Well, maybe everyone has different body requirements for the amount of salts. Perhaps there were indeed some kidney issues, and they've worsened now. Mom didn't think through all possible consequences, and a laxative would still be safer if she decided to go for it at all
Though of course, any such actions are a very odd decision.

 

[Vika2155]

Yeah, I haven't made pickles (like, gherkins), but I've made a lot of chutney and relishes. Salty/sour isn't just for flavour, it's what helps preserve the end product. Salting, sugaring, drying, alcohol, and smoking were the main ways of preserving things before canning, refrigeration, and modern preservatives were invented.

Now, if you drank a lot of a very salty thing you would probably feel unwell, but a little? Gatorade is naturally salty, to help with electrolytes. A lot of commercially bottled Kombucha has vinegar added. Athletes all over the world drink pickle juice shots to help prevent cramping late in a game (you see it a lot at the tennis).

Salt and Vinegar added to a drink are going to be unpleasant, but probably not dangerous unless a lot was consumed or something more dangerous to health was added.
It's heartbreaking to see how situations like this can spiral out of control. Instead of escalating things, parents and schools must work together to address bullying constructively. Spiking a drink is not the answer and could have severe consequences for everyone involved. This incident highlights the importance of clear communication and finding the right resources to address these issues. On a different note, if you're dealing with academic stress or need assistance with writing tasks, there are services like literaturereviewwritingservice.com where u can buy a dissertation literature review and that can help alleviate some of that burden. Let's hope this serves as a wake-up call for more proactive measures in handling bullying.
MOO

Agree! The explanation seems solid and well-informed.