By Stephen Maguire
A number of students at a Co Donegal school are to be reprimanded after a video was posted online reportedly showing them snorting a white powder.
A full investigation has been launched at PCC Falcarragh following the incident.
The video, which reportedly showed a pupil snorting white powder from off a phone in the toilets of the school, has since been removed. A number of concerned parents thought the video was real and contacted Donegal Daily with their concerns.
The principal of the 450 student school Maeve Sweeney has now come out publicly to dismiss the incident as a "prank".
She stressed that there was "no illegal substance" in the school. However, she said the school was treating the incident as a "serious matter" and one which will be dealt with under the school's own code of behaviour.
She said: “Reports regarding videos purportedly involving an illegal substance and a student from our school are false; the view is that there was, in fact, no illegal substance.
“The fact that the video portrays a prank is nonetheless considered to be a serious matter given the nature of what the video appears to depict, and as such, it will be dealt with fully under the school’s code of behaviour.
“The Gardaí have been fully involved in the school’s investigation of these reports. We trust this clarifies the position, and we confirm our school’s position in tackling any such issues.”
Gardaí have confirmed they attended the school on November 22 to issue guidance to students.
File image:Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay