Oklahoma teacher dies after contaminated margarita, OSBI opens probe

An Oklahoma third grade teacher who family members say suffered catastrophic injuries after drinking a contaminated margarita at a local restaurant in February 2023 died on Oct. 23, 2025, and state investigators have opened a probe into the case. Holly Hill, 30, of Elgin, had been treated for severe internal burns and related complications since the Valentine’s Day incident at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar Grill, her family said; they attribute her death to those ongoing medical problems.

Hill’s mother, Kelly Hunter, said Hill took one sip of a margarita on Feb. 14, 2023, and immediately felt her mouth and throat burn. Hunter and other family members have said the drink contained an industrial-strength cleaning chemical, including lye. Hill began vomiting and rinsing her mouth at the restaurant and was taken to a hospital, where doctors found extensive damage to her esophagus, according to family statements and Hill’s obituary.

Over the following two and a half years Hill underwent repeated procedures and hospital stays while continuing to teach. Reports indicate she required dozens of operations to treat chemical burns and complications in her throat and esophagus, including...