BUTLER TWP — A Butler High School student has been charged criminally for attacking another student with pineapple, triggering an allergic reaction. 
 
 During the lunch period on Dec. 13 at Butler Intermediate High School, a 14-year-old girl intentionally “high-fived” a 14-year-old classmate, exposing her to pineapple, Butler Township Police Chief John Hays said Wednesday. 
 
 The victim has a severe pineapple allergy and even skin contact is enough to trigger a reaction, Hays said. 
 
 She was taken to the nurse’s office, given an epinephrine pen and eventually taken by ambulance to the Butler Memorial Hospital. She was treated and released from the hospital the same day, according the police. 
 
 The 14-year-old and two other girls who allegedly had a role in the assault face felony charges in juvenile court. They were also disciplined by the school. 
 
 A full story will appear in Thursday's Butler Eagle. 

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 Girls playing the "high five" game in a Butler County school deliberately exposed a classmate to pineapple juice, knowing she has a serious allergy to it, police said. 
 
 Police said one of them soaked her hand in pineapple juice and made the rounds in the Butler Intermediate High School lunch room, high-fiving other children, until she got to the 14-year-old victim, the Trib's news partner, WPXI-TV, reported. 
 
 "This was an intentional act," Butler Township police Lt. Matt Pearson said. "They sat at the lunch table right next to her and talked about doing it. Some had reservations, but they went through with it." 
 
 Police said two 14-year-olds and a 13-year-old devised the plan, knowing the victim was allergic and could go into anaphylactic shock, which she did. 
 
 Pineapple is not allowed on the cafeteria menu. The fruit cup in question was brought in a bagged lunch. 
 
 One student overheard what happened and immediately went to the victim and told her, police said. She went to the nurse for her Epipen, but was rushed to the hospital, where she recovered. 
 
 "It is our expectation that our students respect themselves and others. When that does not occur, the district will take appropriate discipline action and if appropriate contact law enforcement," Butler Area Superintendent Brian White said in a statement. 
 
 The 14-year-old girl accused of exposing the girl to the pineapple is charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault, reckless endangerment, harassment and disorderly conduct. 
 
 The other two students were each charged with criminal conspiracy, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. 
 
 Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or on Twitter @BCRittmeyer. 

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 BUTLER (KDKA) – A felony, over food? Three teenage girls are facing felony criminal charges after an incident involving pineapple. Butler Township Police said during lunch time, the girls purposely exposed their classmate to pineapple, a fruit to which she is severely allergic. 
 
 Butler Intermediate High School does not serve pineapple in the cafeteria because of that student’s allergy, according to police. 
 
 Police said one student charged brought a container of pineapple in her packed lunch. Police said the teen, who is the most culpable among the three, asked for the pineapple, rubbed it on her hand and deliberately high-fived the girl with the allergy. 
 
 Police are deeming alleged lunchroom incident on Dec. 15, 2017, an aggravated assault. 
 
 “My understanding is she could go into anaphylactic shock and, if not properly and quickly treated, could die,” Lt. Matthew Pearson of the Butler Township Police Department. 
 
 According to officials, the allergic teen is 14 years old. The teen accused of purposely high-fiving her after rubbing pineapple on her hand is 14. The girls accused of conspiring with her are 14 and 13. 
 
 “The main defendant put some on her hand. They conjured up a game, a plan to expose her through high-fiving her,” said Lt. Pearson. 
 
 The teen with the severe allergy was taken for treatment immediately and is OK, according to police. 
 
 It’s difficult to say what would have happened if she weren’t immediately treated. 
 
 “The interesting thing about food allergies is that every person’s level of reactivity is a little different,” said Dr. Allison Freeman, Allergist-Immunologist with Allegheny Health Network. 
 
 Dr. Freeman said food allergy bullying is becoming more common. 
 
 “It’s definitely something schools need to be talking about. It’s no joke and putting a little bit of peanut butter on the keyboard to hurt somebody is a potentially deadly thing,” said Dr. Freeman. 
 
 Whether the conduct rises to the level of criminal activity is another story. 
 
 “The pineapple was not illegally brought in. It’s not a weapon. It’s not any of those things. It’s a fruit cup. And can you intentionally and knowingly kill somebody with a fruit cup? I don’t think adults could make that decision let alone 14 year olds,” said Attorney Mike Santicola. Santicola is not connected to this case in any way. But he agreed to offer his legal expertise for the story. He said the case appears to be overcharged. “Fourteen year old girls. I liken this to a prank and a prank does not rise to the level of intentionally harming somebody where they can die,” said Santicola. 
 
 “I can see years ago, when I was in school, the kids would say, oh we’re going to do something to her chair that when you stood up maybe something was on your slacks. But not something that would harm you in the health ways — you don’t do that,” said Becky Gitzen of Prospect Borough. 
 
 The Butler Area School District released the following statement: 
 
 “As with all student discipline issues, we are unable to provide a comment on the specific incident. However, it is our expectation that our students respect themselves and others. When that does not occur, the district will take appropriate disciplinary action and, if appropriate, contact law enforcement.” 
 
 The 14-year-old has been charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. 
 
 Two other girls, ages 13 and 14, are facing similar charges for allegedly assisting in the assault.
– It's a high-five at lunch that led to a felony charge. The Butler Eagle reports that police say a western Pennsylvania 14-year-old slapped the hand of her classmate in mid December, exposing her to pineapple in the process. Said classmate is severely allergic to pineapple—so much so that Butler Intermediate High School's cafeteria doesn't serve it, reports CBS Pittsburgh—and ended up departing the school by ambulance after being given an epinephrine pen; she was treated in the hospital and discharged that same day. Now, the high-fiver, who police say brought the pineapple from home and intentionally rubbed it on her hands, faces aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, and other charges in juvenile court. Two friends, ages 13 and 14, who allegedly conspired with her were charged with criminal conspiracy, reckless endangerment, and disorderly conduct, reports Trib Live. "The main defendant put some on her hand," says Lt. Matthew Pearson of the Butler Township Police Department. "They conjured up a game, a plan to expose her through high-fiving her. They sat at the lunch table right next to her and talked about doing it. Some had reservations, but they went through with it." A fellow classmate apparently alerted the victim to what happened, and she immediately went to the nurse. The students were also subject to an unspecified disciplinary action from the school.