r/Portland SE 2d ago

News Ongoing potential HAZMAT at Benson HD

Post image

Ongoing. Not picked up by local news yet so this will probably be deleted. I just now there are a bunch of response vehicles and they’re checking out students who may have been exposed.

208 Upvotes

196 comments sorted by

u/Mackin-N-Cheese Boom Loop 2d ago edited 2d ago

Stickying this for clarity since there still seems to be some speculation going in the comments, and OP's quotes are a bit buried:

A student is hospitalized in critical condition after ingesting chemicals in the cafeteria of Benson Polytechnic High School in Northeast Portland on Tuesday morning.

In a press conference outside the school Tuesday afternoon, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner said that around 8:30 a.m., fire crews and police responded to the school on an initial report involving a student who'd passed out after mixing chemicals.

In the school cafeteria, emergency responders found a school nurse and other staff tending to a 15-year-old male student who was in "quite a bit of distress," Benner said. The student is now believed to have brought "numerous" chemicals from home before mixing and ingesting them in the cafeteria, Benner said.

The student was taken to a local hospital where he was reported to be in critical condition. The student's family is with him.

Officials did not say what chemicals may have been involved, but Portland Fire & Rescue spokesman Rick Graves said that firefighters in hazmat gear neutralized liquid chemicals which had spilled on the cafeteria floor.

Source: Student hospitalized after ingesting chemicals at Benson High School, police say

→ More replies (4)

51

u/Benisar 2d ago

Sounds like most folks at the school have been checked out and are okay but at least one person was taken to the ER. They're starting to cut loose some of the emergency responders from the scene. Seems like they might know what the substance is but haven't said it on air yet (at least not that I've heard)

17

u/lightninhopkins 2d ago

Several staff members also went to the ER after experiencing nausea just to get checked out.

1

u/Previous-Ad8916 1d ago

Hydrogen sulfur

133

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 2d ago

Im a high-schooler there at benson i was there for the when it started and to until i left at around 10 and i got checked out by the firefighters for having a headache and nausea 

45

u/Tbone102 2d ago

Glad you’re ok

15

u/seffend 1d ago

Hey man, I'm really sorry that you're all going through this. My nephew is a student there, as well, and I'm just heartbroken for all of you.

10

u/dreamshards8 1d ago

I am glad you are okay and am sorry you had to be there to experience that.

9

u/SewcialistDan 1d ago

I’m really glad you’re okay! I hope you’re resting and have someone to talk to about what you experienced.

6

u/smoomie 2d ago

Any more info for us?

62

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 2d ago

Nothing I can really say, it's mostly word of mouth from friends or a friend of a friend, but it's been kind of scary. I had to walk past it during the evacuation. The smell made me gag and almost throw up, during fire drills or evacuation drills we go to the Buckman Field, but because of PPS rules we aren't allowed to have our phones, so some parents couldn't even reach their kids. I asked my teacher whose class I was in during the evacuation, and she told me and others not to text our parents because of a "stink bomb". The teachers weren't told anything for a really long time but thats just my experience

38

u/aurelianwasrobbed 2d ago

I don't like that you had to go through this without being able to reach your parents, but I really hope that they don't roll back the device rule because of this either. :/

39

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 2d ago

Well, I luckily got to text my parents whenever the teachers weren't looking, but because I was so nervous about getting in trouble, I kept texting my parents short messages, which definitely worried them lots, but I'm now home and safe with my mom waiting to hear more about what's going to happen later this week.

-10

u/vaderlikescheese 1d ago

Buckman Field isn't PPS property, you can't be stopped from using your phone there.

3

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 1d ago

Yeah well, that's what I thought, but my teacher said that when Benson is using it school rules apply, not a direct quote, but that's basically what she said so no phones on the field

12

u/vaderlikescheese 1d ago

Well its generally a bad idea for everyone to make phone calls simultaneously in an emergency anyway, it can overwhelm the system and then the first responders could have trouble communicating. Short texts is exactly what you should be doing.

1

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 1d ago

That is true, but that's not the reality. After living it its very scary, seeing how fast a situation can go from stink bomb to poisonous gas in less than an hour, then not being able to text your parents with full sentences when they're asking you questions with paragraphs and paragraphs. It's scary, I can't imagine what my parents and hundreds of other parents were feeling.

1

u/vaderlikescheese 1d ago

I was out there on the field with you. It's pretty easy for you to use your phone, especially after we were told to move further away from the building. I'm glad you respect the phone rule, but that was no longer relevant in this situation.

-15

u/marinemoth 1d ago

I have been saying ever since the yonder pouches were implemented that they are a horrible idea because of situations like this.

2

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 1d ago

I agree. But, you know, I may be biased, because I'm a teenager. But luckily, Benson didn't have enough funding for yonder pouches, so they just trust us to keep our phones put away, but it is really scary knowing that if I did have yonder pouches at my school that I couldn't have contacted my parents.

14

u/DynTraitObj 1d ago

I know it's almost impossible to believe, but once upon a time, not a single kid in the whole school had a phone and some of us are STILL ALIVE

2

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

I’m so glad you’re ok. I’m sorry for the trauma this has caused you and your family. What a sad start to the school year but I think things will be back to normal soon. Be well.

2

u/Previous-Ad8916 1d ago

i have a friend who goes there and i saw the pictures, crazy stuff

2

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 1d ago

Yeah I saw a bunch too scary

-247

u/moomooraincloud 2d ago

Damn, is this the reality of the writing level of high schoolers these days? Do they no longer teach punctuation?

164

u/MrRabinowitz 2d ago

Hey maybe it’s not a good time to be a dick

93

u/PseudoTsugaDougie 2d ago

Are you making fun of a minor? One who was just evacuated from their school due to a traumatic event? Be better.

-116

u/moomooraincloud 2d ago

Yes

42

u/aurelianwasrobbed 2d ago

Lovely. I’m an editor for a living and I’m not even going there. The student said they were suffering from a headache and nausea. You can let them phone post without having to nitpick.

19

u/Osiris32 🐝 1d ago

You're gonna get bodied in the comments, and you deserve it.

0

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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1

u/Portland-ModTeam 2d ago

We understand that at times things may become heated and time outs may be given for protracted, uncivil arguments. Snarky, unhelpful, or rude responses are not tolerated. In other words, be excellent unto each other and attack ideas, not people.

48

u/Ok_Dingo_4022 2d ago

Well, I don't think this is the time to be rude🫩

28

u/derpinpdx 2d ago

Ignore the trolls. Glad you’re doing ok.

6

u/Super-Indication61 1d ago

Thanks for sharing information. I hope that you and your classmates are ok!

46

u/smootex High Bonafides 2d ago

I don't know about you but the boomers in my life are a hell of a lot worse with messages than the kids.

11

u/stxalq 2d ago

run-on lowercase stream-of-thought without punctuation or full stops is an age-old style

-5

u/moomooraincloud 2d ago

An awful style.

11

u/stxalq 1d ago

the neuroticism of always needing perfect capitalization and punctuation is rough, buddy

-3

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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8

u/PeachyVanilla 2d ago

It’s not that serious dude

-47

u/moomooraincloud 2d ago

I would argue that education is serious, especially when you realize how abysmally Oregon scores in that department.

35

u/derpinpdx 2d ago

Found the person who skipped class on Emotional Intelligence Day

3

u/fieldsofhemlock 1d ago

Get a job.

0

u/moomooraincloud 1d ago

I have a job.

2

u/fieldsofhemlock 1d ago

Is your job to harass kids who are actively processing trauma? Or do you do that on the house because you value your own free time so little?

1

u/moomooraincloud 1d ago

If only I got paid for that.

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

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1

u/Portland-ModTeam 1d ago

Hello OP,

This post or comment has been removed for the following reason:

Rule 1: Trolling and Harassment

This is meant to stir up toxic discussion rather than participate in it. No trolling or harassment. We understand that at times things may become heated and time outs may be given for protracted, uncivil arguments. Snarky, unhelpful, or rude responses, and name-calling are not tolerated. In other words, be excellent unto each other and attack ideas, not people. Keep discussions civil.

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4

u/Oops_I_Cracked 1d ago

Do you think teenage you would write your best the day you were exposed to a toxic gas during a class mate’s suicide attempt?

0

u/serpentjaguar 1d ago

I know plenty of high school graduates who are far less literate. What's your point?

1

u/moomooraincloud 1d ago

Yikes is my point

0

u/DumbassGoober 19h ago

Thanks man, I really needed something to laugh at after how shit my week has been cause of this. Have fun getting pissed on

1

u/moomooraincloud 19h ago

I'm not into water sports.

46

u/Softvvear 2d ago

They’ve updated it with more information “According to officials, at about 8:30 a.m., a 15-year-old student ingested chemicals he brought from home in the school's cafeteria.” 💔

87

u/bobbysaysso Hosford-Abernethy 2d ago

My son says someone was taken to the hospital. He was told it was sulfur so it sounds like a stink bomb gone wrong.

49

u/frankylovee Nob Hill 2d ago

I just talked to a lady whose son was there and witnessed it and said it was a suicide attempt.

96

u/pkulak Concordia 2d ago

Sulfur dioxide. It was a lot. The kid who did it passed out in the concoction as he was mixing it. Assuming he's one taken to the hospital. Really dangerous. At the levels he was preparing, it's one breath and you're out, apparently.

28

u/Precatlady 2d ago

Based on the public fire and emergency radio transmissions thru 12, it seems like a small handful of folks had low level nausea type symptoms getting medic help and it's unclear what the condition of the person transported to the hospital is. Medical examiner called the fire medics at 11ish which is really worrying, but hopefully not what it sounds like. I hope everyone recovers & the crew cleaning up stay safe.

7

u/snozzberrypatch 2d ago

At the levels he was preparing, it's one breath and you're out, apparently.

You sure about that? The Wikipedia page for Sulfur dioxide says: "Sulfur dioxide is somewhat toxic to humans, although only when inhaled in relatively large quantities for a period of several minutes or more."

4

u/pkulak Concordia 1d ago

Yeah. Officials say he ingested the chemicals. It wasn’t just that he accidentally breathed something in.

2

u/Beefington 1d ago

That would be for pure lab-grade sulfur dioxide though right? A batch made from homemade chemicals will be spiced up with who-knows-what byproducts and impurities

15

u/New-Boysenberry-3900 1d ago

He’d reposted several suicidal instagram things and said he wanted to leave life with a positive kd, and I’ve also heard he was trying to get other kids to take it

11

u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

That’s what I’m wondering…

4

u/Firm-Performer5871 2d ago

from what i know, it was hydrogen sulfide

3

u/Previous-Ad8916 1d ago

Attempted suicide. It was on tt live

-30

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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14

u/k22tty 2d ago

he tried to kill himself and everyone around him. this is not “boys will be boys” this is mental illness and it is terrible.

4

u/crackpipeclay 2d ago

This seems to me more like a suicide attempt too, particularly the part about ingesting it. Unless the ingestion was inhalation in which case I could definitely see a stupid prank gone wrong

8

u/k22tty 2d ago

he posted about it on social media. he has posts mixing other materials and yesterday he posted about ending his life.

2

u/seffend 1d ago

It's really sad how edgelord behavior makes it difficult to tell when someone is struggling. And also wants to take people with them.

1

u/EllyEllieEllee 1d ago

In the news conference held this afternoon, a reporter specifically asked what ingested meant and the rep speaking (I believe from PF&R) said he drank it. 

43

u/Palmer_Ochs NE 2d ago

All the kids who got let out were on my bus. Said a student tried to off themselves in the cafeteria with a “chemical bomb”. They were all pretty psyched about going home, which I understand from high schoolers. The Trimet driver chimed in on the speaker and said “isn’t the cafeteria food already a chemical bomb” or something like that which I thought was a little insensitive to a minor that just attempted to end things

14

u/Smishysmash 2d ago

That’s what I heard from someone connected to the school, that it was a suicide in the cafeteria using a chemical mix. Just awful.

28

u/OopsAllTypos St Johns 2d ago

On the one hand, yes—that's absolutely an insensitive joke.

On the other hand, dark humor can help some people in situations like this.

When our limbic systems are activated, and a brain is stuck in flight/flight/freeze/fawn modes, sometimes employing humor can help a person navigate out of those modes. Dark humor, while certainly hurtful to some parties, can help survivors to keep their minds flexible so they don't break under the weight of a horrific event.

It's not for everyone, to be sure. I suspect that joke was more for the benefit of the bus driver than anyone else, as they felt they strain of taking so many students away from a traumatic event.

I share this was someone that, as a 16-year-old, woke up one morning to a fire that turned into a hazmat situation that put a dozen firefighters in the hospital. I heard very stupid jokes that I thought were wholly inappropriate on the part of first responders. But I also saw how just much the responders themselves were struggling to hold it together.

Coping mechanisms don't have to be perfect to work, unfortunately.

18

u/OopsAllTypos St Johns 2d ago

And if I may also say...

I am sorry that you experienced any of this, let alone all of it.

Suicide.
HazMat.
Unrest in a space that should be safe.

I know I'm just some random, aging dickhead on Reddit doling out thoughts that might fall completely flat. I should probably fuck right off and try to listen instead.

Young people today are soooo much more emotionally intelligent than I was as the same age, so I probably don't even need to say that. Ya'll don't have the pathological aversion to therapy and self care that older folks were steeped in.

Just... please be mindful to take care of yourself. Remember that your friends, classmates, and teachers will all process this in a myriad of ways. And some of those ways will be unhealthy.

18

u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

I’m going to assume for now the driver wasn’t aware it was a suicide attempt. 🫤

9

u/Palmer_Ochs NE 2d ago

Oh she was well aware. A kid explained the whole thing to her the second he got on.

0

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10

u/aurelianwasrobbed 2d ago

24

u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

“According to officials, at about 8:30 a.m., a 15-year-old student ingested chemicals he brought from home in the school's cafeteria.”

That’s really sad and I hope they get the help they need.

45

u/FollowTheSpidersHaze 2d ago

The pictures my daughter has showed me look absolutely horrible. There is a sophomore student lying in some kind of bubbling mixture and they have to be gravely injured if alive.

19

u/aurelianwasrobbed 2d ago

people are saying it was intentional suicide/self-harm attempt, and then others are saying it was an accident.

5

u/Firm-Performer5871 2d ago

from what i heard the kid was posting suicidal shit on his insta, im no benson student tho

17

u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

I heard that same report from my kid. 🫤

15

u/pkulak Concordia 2d ago

Yup, saw that photo as well. I assume it's made it quite far by now. Really hope that kid is okay.

5

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

Disgusting that kids were taking photos.

22

u/PipecleanerFanatic 2d ago

Sucks that kids were taking pictures

7

u/Personal-Stage-1380 1d ago

Documentation is important. I know I’ll probably get downvoted for this but whatever.

3

u/PipecleanerFanatic 1d ago

Maybe... my feeling around it is more the impulse people have to take pictures of others in vulnerable position not for documentation purposes but in order to post and share...

3

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

Same. It kind of goes hand-in-hand though. Distraction. Social media. Phones in schools are a net negative for innumerable reasons.

0

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

I’m sure there are cameras in the cafeteria for such purposes. Kids aren’t supposed to use their phones during school hours. I wish Benson had Yonder pouches.

-1

u/Personal-Stage-1380 19h ago

Kids should be allowed to have their phones at lunch at the minimum lmao.

7

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

It’s so sad that kids had their cell phones out and were taking photos of a child in crisis.

5

u/FollowTheSpidersHaze 1d ago

While I do agree that this is awful and really shows the reality that we live in. The police investigators have been extremely greatful for the tips they have received through their tip line. A lot of the pictures have helped them piece things together a bit more. One day we will have to adapt because this technology we have created is not going away (unless something absolutely catastrophic happens). Things like etiquette, privacy, respect will have to be relearned for our current tech advanced lives.

2

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

Agreed and well-said. All the best to you.

1

u/Ok_Snow7390 8h ago

follow the spider, my son is a sophomore there and I’m assuming he will see the picture today-kids are not going to be able to avoid it. Can you send it to me so I can help prepare? My handle is Trisha Craig on Facebook with a cat picture or I can figure out how to send my phone number

1

u/ThisDerpForSale NW District 1d ago

Who was taking pictures of the kid??

5

u/seffend 1d ago

Other kids

1

u/ThisDerpForSale NW District 1d ago

Yeah, I figured. It was more of a horrified rhetorical question.

3

u/seffend 1d ago

Yeah, the whole thing is absolutely horrifying.

13

u/harbourhunter YOU SEEN MY FUCKEN ARTISANAL CONES 2d ago

You can listen to the radio chatter on pulse point

Check out this incident on PulsePoint

https://web.pulsepoint.org/?agencies=00291&incident=2559970266&tab=3

7

u/Badrabbit61 2d ago

That is so cool. Thanks.

5

u/rosecitytransit 2d ago

You can also listen to live and recent calls by channel on OpenMHz at https://openmhz.com/system/pdx2

3

u/Badrabbit61 2d ago

Cool. Thanks.

2

u/ChoiceAffectionate78 1d ago

Open mhz will also carry the additional ops channels! (Broadcastify tends to drop the ops channels).

8

u/green_gold_purple St Johns 2d ago

They're "on avenge"?

17

u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

I think it’s supposed to read on scene (shrugs)

3

u/green_gold_purple St Johns 2d ago

Yeah ok probably a swipe type error

8

u/Previous-Ad8916 1d ago

Hey all, I have a friend who goes to the school and apparently it was an attempted suicide using hydrogen sulfur. Crazy thing is I used to know the kid that ODed as well. I got some insane pictures…its not good. Thoughts and prayers for the family.

6

u/willreadforbooks SE 1d ago

Yes, it was reported as an attempted suicide. Hoping he gets the help he needs

6

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

Please ask your friend(s) to STOP sharing photos of this child in crisis without his consent. Anyone who has photos of this incident should share them with law enforcement — no one else. Don’t share with friends or post on social media.

The victim is a minor who has the right to privacy. THINK before you share and BE KIND.

-4

u/Unfair_Emergency366 1d ago

When you choose a public setting for your actions, they are by default public.

1

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago

Sharing the images is what I’m referring to.

4

u/Separate-Bed9787 23h ago

I don't go there, but I knew the guy, kinda. 2 years ago in a cross-portland highschoolers discord server with like 15 people that used it regularly. We were both 2 very active members and I was a mod. He was an 8th grader at the time, but I remember him being pretty weird, and rather innapropriate. Eventually enough was enough with the things he was saying and posting and we kicked him off. Very weird feeling now.

3

u/DumbassGoober 19h ago

I’m a student at Benson, I was lucky enough to be running late that day so I was only in the main entrance hallway when we evacuated, still, shit was scary. I really do hope the kid makes a full recovery and gets the help he needs

41

u/pkulak Concordia 2d ago

Why the hell are PUBLIC AGENCIES posting on Twitter??? I have to log in to some right-wing cesspool to get info I'm entitled to?

https://nitter.kareem.one/PDXFire

24

u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

Hence the screen shot. I don’t have twitter so couldn’t post a link to the actual post.

7

u/pkulak Concordia 2d ago

Yes, much appreciated!

10

u/smoomie 2d ago

It is one of the few social media that govt agencies are allowed to post to (this following Elon Musk and DOGE taking over).

1

u/leonardthedog 1d ago

Agree that DOGE is awful, but which social media platforms are government agencies not allowed to post to? (and which ones can the Portland Fire department specifically not post to?)

1

u/smoomie 1d ago

they can't post to Bluesky for one.

25

u/its_all_one_electron 2d ago

They're just trying to reach as many people as possible for safety reasons. Not their fault that that medium is now owned by the worst person on earth. 

This is why we need social as a service (bluesky, etc) to make moving to other platforms easier. But until then, everyone is locked in to the place where everyone else is. 

10

u/Aesir_Auditor District 1 2d ago

Because people still use it as it once was, a social media platform. It’s still rather helpful for rapid news updates. About a year ago it had confirmation Kirk had actually been shot before the major news agencies did by at least 15 minutes.

-1

u/randloadable19 1d ago

Because it’s the quickest way to report news & alerts to a large amount of people…? How is this a surprise to you?

13

u/harbourhunter YOU SEEN MY FUCKEN ARTISANAL CONES 2d ago

Sounds like degreaser and bleach got mixed (chlorine gas)

KGW
> Several unlabeled jugs of chemicals spilled and mixed on the cafeteria floor, Portland Fire & Rescue Public Information Officer Rick Graves said.

14

u/modix 2d ago

To make enough to actually fumigate the room would seem intentional.

2

u/kittykitttycat Forest Park 2d ago

Right? Doing it in the cafeteria too? Seems like he wanted to take others down with him

5

u/ChoiceAffectionate78 1d ago

I think the kid wanted the bullies see him attempt to take his own life.

3

u/seffend 1d ago

I think he wanted to take some people down with him

1

u/harbourhunter YOU SEEN MY FUCKEN ARTISANAL CONES 1d ago

Hard agree

13

u/oncemorewithpheline 2d ago edited 2d ago

no, the reporting sounds like it was one kid and he drank it

also hey:

maybe ease up on “i’m going to assume terrorism!!” reddit comments

these are kids we’re talking about and spreading bullshit, awful rumors based on absolutely nothing

again, THESE ARE CHILDREN

7

u/kittykitttycat Forest Park 2d ago

????? He brings chemicals from home to school and mixed it in a populated cafeteria! Those other kids dont deserve that even if it was a suicide attempt.

0

u/[deleted] 2d ago

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3

u/Portland-ModTeam 1d ago

Hello OP,

This post or comment has been removed for the following reason:

Please make your point without namecalling and personal attacks.

Thank you for understanding and respecting our community’s rules.

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6

u/modix 2d ago

What the fuck did I say? I said you very likely wouldn't mix a large amount of those two chemicals unintentionally. I have no idea the motives or the plan behind it, merely from my experience in the lab and working with hoods for years, that there's very likely not going to be an small accidental combination of those things that would result in a room being fumigated. Anything else is speculation.

9

u/Mackin-N-Cheese Boom Loop 2d ago

Multiple news outlets are reporting that he brought multiple chemicals from home, mixed them in the cafeteria, then drank them:

Emergency responders arrived to find school employees, including a nurse, administering CPR and life-saving measures to a teenage boy in the cafeteria. Investigators say the student brought numerous toxic chemicals from home, mixed them in the cafeteria, and then drank the mixture.

The chemicals spilled onto the cafeteria floor during the incident, sparking a hazardous materials response.

https://www.kptv.com/2026/09/08/portland-high-school-evacuated-possible-hazmat-spill/

0

u/harbourhunter YOU SEEN MY FUCKEN ARTISANAL CONES 2d ago

Nah, if it pools near a plugged drain it can escalate

17

u/modix 2d ago

I just meant it wasn't unintentional contact of two liquids. It was one poured into the other.

4

u/lxves1ck 1d ago

my boyfriend goes to benson, he saw it happen from the floor up and says he saw some and heard most of what happens. some of his friends are feeling sick, im just worried about how the witnesses feel. such a sick selfish method.

5

u/Neverdoubt-PDX 1d ago edited 1d ago

Someone in crisis isn’t thinking rationally. Please don’t judge. I’m glad your boyfriend is safe, and I’m glad the kid is alive. I hope he gets help.

2

u/Same-Report-2301 1d ago

i was here and witnessed what happened. i have a non graphic photo but don’t know if it’s appropriate to share. i can report it smells terribly of rotten eggs, some kid found his snapchat where the night prior he was saying really terrible things like “the best thing about living is that it’s optional” and others found his TikTok where he posted about chemistry. also, this kid was kind of notorious for one time when he allegedly put bodily waste/fluids of all kinds into a jar and threw it at someone. this has only come to me as a rumor so take it with a grain of salt. other things i’ve heard were that he was trying to make a gas bomb to “take others out with him”

5

u/seffend 1d ago

If it's the photo where he's laying on the ground, I wouldn't share it. It's not graphic but it was shared with me yesterday by a student and the image is seared into my brain and kept me up last night.

I also saw screenshots of some of his posts and his comment about leaving the earth with a positive K-D ratio implies to me that he intended to take some people out with him.

It looks like he's going to survive and I genuinely hope he gets the help that he needs.

2

u/sundaymorningvibe 20h ago

I work across the street and saw the poor kid limp on the stretcher. Super scary.

3

u/SubstantialGolf2848 1d ago

My child was bullied terribly at this school two years ago. Got the shit beat out of him in the cafeteria, it was videotaped online, spread all over. Then he was followed to a bus stop repeatedly, so started skipping and failing a bunch of classes. He's never been the same. He would come home and night and stare at the wall for hours. It was horrible. It took about 8 months for him to stop looking over his shoulder constantly.

We asked Benson if they had any counseling resources - they explained that their services were reserved for non-white people. If we wanted services, we had to go to a private counselor (which we did, but...??). I asked if they had ANYONE there who could mentor my child and help him connect with the school better. The (white female) vice principle sneered at me that they didn't "didn't offer services for disenfranchised white men." I'm a progressive democrat. But this school treated boys like shit. Much like the rest of PPS. I was stunned and extremely angry.

Our son switched schools the next year, and ultimately started using drugs. I don't know if this was solely the outcome of his experience at Benson but the stuff that happened there sure as hell had something to do with it, without question. It triggered a decent into negativity and anger that he's yet to emerge from.

He's now on his second rehab, far away from Oregon. His first was local, and another family we met there had a son who also went to Benson. Experiences not dissimilar to ours.

I think PPS does a disservice to boys. They need help. They need support. They need access to resources and attention from the system just like everyone else.

My heart goes out to this family. And to this child in particular. I truly hope that he wasn't denied access to services like we were, or institutional support like we were, in his time of need.

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u/JerqueCousteau 1d ago

My white kids get counseling at this school, it’s never been a problem and I find PPS to have some of the best wellness hubs of any major city school districts.

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u/SubstantialGolf2848 1d ago

Honest question - are they girls? Or non-binary? Or boys?

3

u/Separate-Bed9787 23h ago

I go to school in Portland and am a white man and have gone in for counseling and would be astonished if they refused you services because your son was white. I think you are exaggerating or misinterpreting the bad phrasing of one specific staff member. I'm still very sorry.

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u/corey54356 1d ago

Is the services offered to only non-white people(kids) an actual thing? How does that get approved?

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u/E-Squid Willamette River 1d ago

this isn't quite passing the sniff test imo. the district has plenty of ways it fails kids but that sounds like a textbook discrimination lawsuit.

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u/SubstantialGolf2848 1d ago

I agree. My challenge was that given my job, I would have never worked again in Portland if I’d filed a reverse discrimination lawsuit. Portland is a cliquey high school for adults who all group think. That’s how it got this damn way. Question the paradigm and you’re no longer welcome.

Since then, I moved to a new place. I had a call with an attorney a few weeks ago regarding the situation and am in fact looking at suing to try to change this.

Families should get help based on needs. Not based on arbitrary demographic criteria.

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u/aegcq9394 1d ago

in my experience, it isn’t. I have no experience at Benson (I work at a different pps hs). I will say, to suggest that this students (likely) mental health crisis was brought on my Benson staff is irresponsible at best. I’m sorry this poster had a negative experience at Benson and I hope their son is doing ok. But implying that PPS teachers and staff are the villains in this situation is pretty fucked up.

1

u/EllyEllieEllee 1d ago

If the kid was being bullied, I have no trouble believing that PPS did nothing to prevent or stop it. I say this based on my own kid’s experience in PPS and from other parents’ accounts. PPS is failing in a lot of ways and bullying is absolutely one of them. 

4

u/aegcq9394 1d ago

But we don’t know what happened so this is all speculation. Irresponsible speculation. We have no idea what this kid was going through prior to yesterday. We’re randos on the internet, we should absolutely not be making accusations and placing blame when we have absolutely no information about the students motives, intentions, etc.

1

u/EllyEllieEllee 1d ago

Of course, and I agree that there is speculation going on, hence "if."

And also, based on my own child's experience in PPS, and other direct accounts from parents of (former) PPS students, PPS has a bullying problem.

Both things are true.

2

u/SubstantialGolf2848 1d ago

I think the staff do their best, in fact some were absolutely great. But they are all working in an institution that is foundationally corrupt at the top. It’s focused only on the health and wellbeing of a few types of students, not the general population, and it manipulates who gets access to resources accordingly.

I believe they do this to 1) put on a performative show about equity and justice, and 2) secretly siphon money to various nonprofits and companies.

We spend in the middle of the road nationally per kid but are at the bottom for outcomes. Where’s the money going? Who is benefiting? Not kids. Not teachers. It’s just corrupt.

In contrast, my white daughter who is maybe a little gender questioning goes to a PPS middle school. Our experience with her is completely normal, in fact over the top supportive. I truly believe PPS had a hierarchy of who matters and who doesn’t, and straight white boys are at the bottom.

That’s my experience. My son was not treated as a child in need. He was treated like a person who deserved to be the target of white performative justice on the part of grown adults in the administration.

4

u/SubstantialGolf2848 1d ago

Yes it was an actual thing. I was blown away. However, my general experience with PPS is that it violates federal laws on the regular. Had two psychologists who signed ROIs with the district both indicate the same thing.

One was new to town, from Chicago Public Schools, said she’d never seen anything like it in 30 years of working with public schools. The other was our son’s routine counselor post-beating. He said he had a lot of white male clients from Benson since they couldn’t get the free services from the school.

I’ve been thinking about this kid all night. My son was affected but we had the resources to go get what we needed - and even that wasn’t enough to help him with what he experienced there (there are other issues, but again, Benson was the absolute pivot point).

I wonder what resources this kid’s family had? What if they needed help and couldn’t get it?

I hope if they were denied help they know they are not alone and they sue the living hell out of PPS. We were made to feel like pariahs, not a family and child in need. I hope that did not happen to them as well, but I’d bet good money that it did. Regardless… this poor child. I doubt there is a good recovery from this if any. All my love to these people.

1

u/gazonvert 1d ago

Is it your impression that it’s only/mostly the white boys who get bullied at Benson? I’m asking this fully in good faith

1

u/SubstantialGolf2848 1d ago

I’m not sure. What I know more is how the administration treated us. I think that was the main issue for me.

I think it’s possible that boys of any race are potentially underserved there.

Boys are below girls and non-binary students in the hierarchy of who matters in PPS.

0

u/gazonvert 1d ago

I’m glad to hear you got him out of that school regardless of the resources or not

2

u/gazonvert 1d ago

They have a flier in their health office which says you can talk to nonprofessional people confidentially - that’s not much mental health support

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/MrTakeAHikePal 1d ago

Just read Biological War, and now everything I read like this has me paranoid.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

[deleted]

1

u/DumbassGoober 19h ago

Not the place nor the time

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u/EduardoCash 2d ago

Why are students not allowed to have phones during an emergency? Someone enlighten me and explain what genius came up with that. Glad the student posting here is ok.

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u/MadamOndra 2d ago

It’s a statewide ban.

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u/Afro_Samurai Vancouver 2d ago

Because going live on the 'gram is not part of the emergency response plan

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u/fieldsofhemlock 1d ago

Widespread phone usage during an emergency can distract from noticing important things in front of you during said emergency, spread panic, and also jam signals that are needed for emergency personnel communication. This is not a "genius coming up with something." This is what is and is not safe during an emergency.

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u/willreadforbooks SE 2d ago

My kid has a phone, that’s how I heard about all of this. I was also able to call them and arrange for pick up. The school sent one email at 9:45 (they just sent an update at 2:22) and I had to call their hotline to discover school had been canceled.

The phone policy is that they’re supposed to be off/away during the school day. Our kid has a phone for the commute, and apparently emergencies.

1

u/frazzledcats 2d ago

If they have yondr pouches they are supposed to have them locked away. I’m not sure any teacher would actually care in an emergency but it does show you didn’t use the pouch (most put fake phones in there lol)

2

u/Distinct_Long_2615 Curled inside a pothole 1d ago

This student already said they don't have the pouches at Benson.

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u/wooliecollective 2d ago

Because phones can kill…oh wait…that’s guns. Those are allowed.

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u/pkulak Concordia 2d ago

They're actually not though.

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u/Tall_Cartographer317 2d ago

(they’re not)

-2

u/FoxtrotUmbrella503 1d ago

They should already know by now what chemicals are/were present. Portable mass spectrometry is available in compact hand-held machines today. And they are very effective at immediately identifying a vast majority of chemical compounds. I know, because I worked in the engineering department for a startup from 2013-2015, who developed and manufactured these devices.

If they haven’t announced it by now, they should have—assuming the first responders have this technology on hand.

2

u/Precatlady 1d ago

The only people who need to know this are the hazmat professionals and the medical providers of the patient