A Massachusetts woman faces criminal charges after she allegedly distributed brownies laced with laxatives to members of a Nantucket school board during a public meeting, turning a routine budget session into a law enforcement matter that has rattled the small island community.
Kathleen O’Donnell, 48, of Nantucket, was arrested and charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, reckless endangerment, and adulterating food intended for human consumption after at least five school board members and staff reportedly fell ill following the June 3 meeting, according to the Nantucket Police Department.
A plate of brownies and a pointed message
O’Donnell allegedly arrived at the Nantucket Public Schools committee meeting carrying a plate of homemade brownies, which she placed on a table accessible to board members and attendees. The meeting had been called to discuss proposed budget cuts to the district’s art and music programs, a topic that had drawn vocal opposition from parents in recent weeks.
Nantucket Police Chief William Pittman told reporters that multiple individuals began experiencing gastrointestinal distress within hours of eating the brownies. Two board members sought treatment at Nantucket Cottage Hospital. None of the individuals were hospitalized overnight, and all have since recovered, Pittman said…