SOMERSET, Pa. — The state Department of Human Services revoked the certification of Learning Links Preschool in Somerset late last week, and this week another person was charged with giving children there melatonin without approval.
Loraine Gribble admitted to cutting up pink melatonin pills and putting them into children's lunches at least five times, according to police. Only one of the children's parents gave permission for their child to be given the sleep aid, according to court documents.
According to a letter first obtained by 6 News on Tuesday afternoon, the state revoked the preschool's certification for "gross incompetence, negligence or misconduct in the operation of a child care program." Learning Links could appeal the revocation, although it hadn't done so by Tuesday afternoon. If it does appeal, the school will be allowed to continue to operate until a formal hearing takes place.
An attorney for Gribble did not immediately return a request for comment. An unidentified woman walked out of the preschool Tuesday afternoon and told a 6 News reporter not to take video or pictures. She declined to comment or give her name, and she didn't answer questions about whether the day care facility was still open.
After the woman went inside, an unidentified man drove up in a truck and eventually began shouting at a 6 News reporter, telling him to leave the area. He, too, declined to comment further or provide his name.
There were signs outside the building that read "WE WILL SURVIVE."
According to the letter, state investigators also found regulatory violations at the preschool related to play equipment, small toys, supervision, medication, special diets, child records and paint, among other things.
In July, Loraine Gribble's daughter Teryll, the operator of Learning Links, was charged with giving melatonin to three children, according to court documents. Police said that one child's grandmother told them that she had given the day care verbal permission to administer melatonin to her, but that it was supposed to be on a "day-to-day basis and not a daily routine." Police said another child's mother told them that she had not given the day care permission to administer melatonin.
According to court documents, that mother also told police that Teryll Gribble called her and told her to tell police that she had given Gribble permission, even though she hadn't. She did not do so.
A third family member, Teryll Gribble's brother Todd, was charged with sending threatening messages to another parent involved in the case. According to police, he told the parent, "I'm going to screw your life up bad," among other things, including a misspelled offensive slur.
Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and helps promote sleep. It can be bought as a supplement and is often used by people with sleep disorders. While it is generally considered safe, it can cause some side effects or interact with other drugs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Still, though, Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center clinical pharmacist Bret Chapman said supplements like melatonin aren't always safe for everybody.
"Just because something is natural doesn't necessarily mean that it's safe," Chapman said in an interview, adding that giving a child supplements without knowing their medical history could be risky.
"If you don't know what their medications are, you have no idea how that herbal supplement could react with their medication," he said.
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