‘PRETTY SCARY’

More Than 30 Kids Fall Sick After Eating Field Trip Snacks

The children began vomiting shortly after eating food at a movie theater.

More than 30 elementary school students in South Carolina reportedly became sick after eating snacks during a movie theater field trip. The students from Eugene Sires Elementary School began vomiting on Monday shortly after consuming food from the Cinemark theater in Summerville, according to local outlets WCSC, WCIV, and WRDW. WCSC reported that as many as 36 children fell ill, while WCIV and WRDW placed the number at 32. Around 180 students attended the trip, WCSC reported. The teacher chaperone immediately alerted school administrators, and district nursing staff responded quickly. Several students received treatment from EMS personnel and the school nurse upon their return to campus. “Student safety and care remain among our highest priorities,” the school district said in a message to parents reported by WCIV. Ashley Williams, whose daughter became ill, told WCSC the incident was “pretty scary”. She said she received a call saying poison control and EMS had been contacted because multiple students fell ill. The South Carolina Department of Public Health confirmed an investigation has been launched into the matter. Cinemark reportedly received an A rating during its most recent health inspection in February 2025.