A high school teacher in Largo, Florida, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly spraying a student with disinfectant for not wearing a mask correctly.
A police report said the incident was caught on video Tuesday, Fox 32 reported.
“Christina Reszetar, 51, sprayed the unnamed student with ‘Claire disinfectant aerosol spray’ because, she allegedly told investigators, ‘the kids were not wearing their mask properly,'” the article continued.
The police report said the teacher allegedly sprayed “into the path of their faces and bodies.”
“On Wednesday, Reszetar was escorted from school and booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Reszetar appeared before a judge Thursday, facing four counts of child abuse,” WFLA reported.
When she appeared in court, Reszetar told the judge she teaches math to learning disabled students at Largo High School and has worked as a teacher for 21 years. She also claimed the video footage shows the allegations are not true.
“I think I can fairly characterize this as a severely misguided attempt at discipline,” the judge said.
Although the state asked for a higher bond, the request was denied, and the judge released her from jail with no bond.
When asked if she could hire a lawyer to represent her, Reszetar said, “I will not be able to afford one on my teacher’s salary.”
The case will go to trial if the state decides to move forward with the charges against her.
“Before teaching at Largo High School, the district said Reszetar spent time teaching at Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater, the Seminole Vocational Education Center and Dunedin Middle School, where she began as a substitute in 1999,” according to a WTSP report.
A neighbor said she does not think Reszetar’s alleged actions were right but described the arrest as excessive.
“Teachers have to be under a lot of pressure right now with the virus,” she stated.