Banana prank sends teacher to hospital, students to court

A school prank ended with a trip to the hospital for an art teacher in Ohio.

Three seventh grade students at Starling K-8 School in Columbus smeared bananas on the doorknob of a teacher with a severe allergy to bananas, according to the chief communications officer of Columbus City Schools, Scott Wortman. The students also threw bananas at her that hit her body.

"All of the kids know she's deathly allergic to bananas," the security officer told the police, ABC Columbus affiliate WSYX. "If it touches her, she will go into anaphylactic shock."

“Banana Free Zone” signs are posted around the classroom and students are asked to wash their hands if they have eaten a banana that day.

The teacher went into anaphylactic shock, and was rushed to the hospital, according to Wortman.

"She starts to change colors," a security staffer told WSYX. "They gave her one EpiPen; It wasn't working. They gave her another EpiPen (and) her throat was starting to close up."

The incident took place last November, Wortman said.

The students involved with the prank have been “disciplined appropriately,” according to Wortman.

The three students were charged with assault in the juvenile court system, served probation, and sources told WSYX that they were transferred to other schools.

“It is our hope that this was a teachable moment for the children involved and for our entire school community on the potentially life-threatening consequences of food allergies," Wortman said in a statement.