‘Somebody should be liable’: 36 Dorchester District 2 students fall ill during theater trip

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) — Three dozen elementary students from Eugene Sires Elementary School became sick on a field trip Monday, throwing up shortly after eating their movie snacks at the Cinemark on Ladson Road, parents and chaperones said.

Jennifer Passmore, the public information officer for Dorchester School District Two, confirmed the incident.

Ashley Williams said she got an unexpected phone call about her daughter.

“It was pretty scary because I got a call from a number that wasn’t the school number, and they just said that my daughter got ill during the field trip, that I need to come get her, and that poison control and EMS had been called because several other students had gotten ill,” Williams said.

The teacher chaperone on the field trip immediately notified school administrators, and the district nursing staff was promptly dispatched on Monday to assess the situation. About 180 students went on the field trip. It was determined that it was safe to take the sick students back to campus, where they were treated by the school nurse and EMS. Their families were contacted.

Parents are seeking answers as health agencies continue to investigate how the incident happened.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health said it was notified on Monday and is investigating the report. The department’s statement has remained the same since Tuesday.

The most recent inspection report for the Cinemark was in February 2025, and the theater received an A rating, according to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. All previous reports also graded the theater an A.

Amanda Sims, director of nursing and health services for Dorchester School District Two, said she has never seen anything like this in her time in the role.

“This is definitely an unusual situation,” Sims said. “That’s why, we wanted to step in and take action quickly since this is certainly not your average day in the school nursing world.”

Sims said the district is working to update parents but faces challenges since they are not leading the investigation.

“We don’t speculate the cause of this incident but we leave that to the agencies who are responsible for those types of things,” Sims said. “We’re not leading the investigation. We defer to those agencies that oversee commercial businesses and vendors that sell and distribute food and trust that they’re operating within the scope of their agency to ensure that places that are open to the public are safe for public consumption and use.”

Williams said her daughter is back to feeling normal since the field trip, but still wants to see accountability.

“Nobody wants to be in that situation and be left clueless,” Williams said. “I think that somebody should be liable for this.”

A message sent to parents whose children attend Eugene Sires Elementary said student safety and care remain among the district’s highest priorities.

“We appreciate the quick response of our staff and healthcare personnel as we continue to monitor the situation and support our students and families,” the message said.

Sims said parents should reach out to her if their child begins to show any symptoms or if they have questions.

Cinemark Summerville has yet to respond for comment.