Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Town with Tourettes’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Curious Case Of…’ delves deep into the lives of multiple young girls at Le Roy Junior-Senior High School who had begun exhibiting symptoms of tics and Tourette’s syndrome, including sudden hand gestures and verbal outbursts, in 2011. As experts and authorities investigated the cases, they reached different conclusions and theories. What they found strange was the fact that the epidemic only seemed to affect teenage girls of the same school. The documentary also features insightful interviews with several of the affected girls, including Rose Ortiz, Traci Bosinski, and Emily Dun.
A String of Mysterious Cases of Tics and Tourette’s Took Over the Town of Le Roy in 2011
In the fall of 2011, several teenage girls studying at Le Roy Junior-Senior High School in the town of Le Roy in New York State began exhibiting signs of tics and Tourette’s, which raised concerns among the residents, especially the afflicted’s parents. Over the following couple of months, the condition spread to various students at the school. By late November 2011, nine students had gotten afflicted. The experts and officials came up with several possible explanations for the mysterious outbreak. For instance, it was theorized that the condition was caused by the toxic substance called Trichloroethylene, which was spilled into an area when a train got derailed in 1970.
However, the theory was debunked when the amount of Trichloroethylene found in the area was deemed non-hazardous by the government. The students experiencing sudden body movements and vocal outbursts were referred to DENT Neurologic Institute, where they were examined by Dr. Laszlo Mechtler and Dr. Jennifer McVige. They claimed that the afflicted students were going through a conversion disorder due to “a component of psychological issues causing physical symptoms.” The doctors theorized that the outbreak didn’t have to do with the afflicted’s brain. Amidst it all, the affected students were alleged to be faking their conditions. However, the doctors confirmed that the symptoms were real and not fake.
Several of the afflicted got better with the help of a few medications and cognitive behavioral therapy. As per reports, it was also alleged that the students had smoked synthetic marijuana, which could cause the effects they had been exhibiting. Out of the students showing symptoms of tics and Tourette’s, Rose Ortiz had been diagnosed with Tourette’s at the age of 7. Some of the residents also claimed that the afflicted students were copying Rose in order to get the attention that she had been receiving for her condition. The entire ordeal reportedly affected about 20 patients, but most of them stopped showing symptoms by June 2012.
Traci Bosinski is Surrounded by the Love and Support of Her Family and Friends
After recovering from her condition, Traci Bosinski moved forward with her life and found the love of her life, Zachary William Bosinski Zavodny. She and her partner welcomed two children in the years that followed — Xander Michael on May 20, 2017, and Olivia Marie on July 16, 2020. In November 2024, Traci landed a job as a teacher’s assistant at Victory Learning Center. Several months later, she was promoted to the position of a teacher at the same institution in September 2025. Hailing from Le Roy, New York, the doting mother of two now leads a fulfilling life with her family in Blasdell, New York. The devoted family woman also spends quality time with her friends.
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