No Additional Needles Found At Arlington School Where Girls Were Stuck

ARLINGTON (CBS) – School crews combed the grounds of an Arlington school but found no additional needles a day after two young girls were stuck while playing during an after-school program.

The girls, 5 and 7 years old, were playing at Gibbs Middle School on Tuesday. One of them picked up the discarded syringe and was stuck. The second girl was stuck while removing the needle.

Both girls were taken to Winchester Hospital. Police said the needle is being tested.

The needle was found in an area where a large snowbank built up over the winter and had since begun to melt.

Though Arlington Schools Superintendent Kathleen Bodie said she understands why parents are concerned, she added this is a rare event.

"In my 11 years as superintendent, to my knowledge we have never found a needle on school grounds," she said. "Still, one occurrence is one too many. We will act swiftly going forward to make sure nothing like this happens again."

Acting Arlington Police Chief Julie Flaherty said discarded needles are a problem throughout town.

"It's a regular occurrence for someone to call us to come pick up a syringe that they find in public," she said.

Bodie said the school district will development plans to have conversations about needle safety with students. Parents should encourage their children to let an adult know if they find a needle, and don't pick it up.