D.C. 4th Grader Busted for Distributing Crack Cocaine at School

I'm trying to think... did I even know what cocaine was when I was 8 years old?

Several D.C. elementary school kids apparently do. Five Thomson Elementary School students were rushed to a local hospital last Friday after handling and/or ingesting cocaine -- all of them between 8- and 9-years-old.

School administrators were alerted when the kids complained they weren't feeling well and were examined by the nurse. An on-scene test on the substance by police yielded positive for cocaine.

School officials believe one child, aged 10, brought the drugs to school to share it with other kids. The child was scheduled to appear before a judge last Friday, but prosecutors have decided not to press charges. No drug charges have yet been filed against the parents and a search of the home reportedly turned up no drugs.

The case is now in the hands of the city's Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA). Meanwhile, the boy and his younger sibling have been removed from their home and are in foster care under the supervision of CFSA.

On Monday, toxicology reports confirmed that the drug was crack cocaine. The school's principal recommends that the 10-year-old fourth grader be suspended from D.C. public schools for a full year.

In addition, the school held drug education counseling for students Monday.