Oregon middle school students served pretzels seasoned with industrial oven cleaner
More than 50 sixth-grade students at Fowler Middle School in Tigard ate pretzels that were mistakenly coated with a caustic oven cleaner, prompting a lawsuit against the school district.
A lawsuit filed last month claims that more than 50 sixth-grade pupils at Fowler Middle School in Tigard, Oregon, were given pretzels seasoned with crushed Alto-Cham concentrated oven cleaner, an industrial caustic chemical containing sodium hydroxide. The incident occurred on October 20, 2025, when a kitchen employee mistakenly used the cleaner as salt, coating roughly 37 pretzels that were served at lunch. One student, L.L., reported burning in his mouth, throat, chest pain and an upset stomach, while other students also ate the tainted pretzels.
The complaint accuses the Tigard-Tualatin School District, the lead kitchen worker, and Principal Cindy Pellicci of strict liability, negligence, unlawful confinement and civil-rights breaches. Police reviewed the case but did not bring criminal charges, citing lack of visual evidence. The suit also alleges delayed poison-control notification, late parental alerts, and inadequate chemical storage and staff training.
Why it matters
The case highlights serious food-safety lapses in schools and raises questions about staff training and chemical handling.
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