A student who inhaled a toxic mixture of chemicals at Northeast Portland’s Benson Polytechnic High School on Tuesday is expected to survive, Portland police said at a press conference Wednesday.
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong speaks at a press conference on Sept. 9, 2026 in Portland, Ore., following an incident involving a student at Benson High School on Sept. 8. Police said a 15-year-old boy inhaled a toxic mixture of chemicals he had brought from home, and then he spilled some of that mixture on the floor.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
The school was evacuated Tuesday morning after a chemical spill in the cafeteria.
Police said a 15-year-old boy inhaled a toxic mixture of chemicals he had brought from home, and then he spilled some of that mixture on the floor.
The boy was treated at the scene and then hospitalized in critical condition.
Police clarified on Wednesday that he did not drink the mixture.
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong said Wednesday at the press conference that staff and students responded heroically in the incident’s immediate aftermath.
She said staff members performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator while they waited for emergency responders to arrive.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the goals of the ongoing investigation are to determine the student’s intent and to mitigate any further impacts to the Benson High community.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day speaks to reporters at the press conference on Sept. 9, 2026.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
He said investigators had already seized multiple electronic devices and are combing through evidence posted online, involving “numerous students, multiple phones, and multiple social platforms.”
As of Wednesday morning, Day said there was still no clarity on whether the student intended to harm only himself or to harm others as well.
Day did say that investigators believe there is no ongoing threat to the school community.
Portland Fire & Rescue Chief Lauren Johnson said the exact contents and the combination of the chemical mixture are still unknown to fire investigators.
But she reiterated that smelling the odor of the mixture does not mean people inhaled enough to be sick. Officials also said the mixture was likely made from common household chemicals.
Portland Police, Portland Fire & Rescue, and Portland Public Schools officials meet outside of Benson Polytechnic High School in Northeast Portland on Tues., Sept. 8, 2026.
Elizabeth Miller / OPB
Portland fire and medical crews were initially called to the school at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. They noted within minutes that the spill was contained within the cafeteria.
The school was evacuated so emergency responders could evaluate the building and identify the chemicals involved.
PF&R spokesperson Rick Graves said up to 200 students and staff members were evaluated on nearby athletic fields. He said no other people were injured or sickened as a result of the incident.
Graves also said a hazardous materials crew was able to neutralize the chemicals that had spilled.
Portland Fire is on avenge of a potential hazardous materials spill at Benson Polytechnic High School.
— Portland Fire & Rescue (@PDXFire) September 8, 2026
PIO monitoring the scene and will update here with information.
All classes and activities at Benson were canceled Tuesday and Wednesday. School is expected to resume as normal on Thursday morning.
