A Floridateacher was hit with charges for allegedly spraying students with disinfectant for not properly wearing their masks, the local NBC affiliate reports.
Christina Reszetar was arrested on Wednesday at Largo High School in Largo, Florida. The 51-year-old was booked into Pinellas County Jail where she was charged with four counts of child abuse. Per the Largo police report, Reszetar said four students refused to wear their masks properly so she allegedly sprayed aerosol disinfectant "into the path of their faces and bodies."
Reszetar appeared in front of the court on Thursday where she denied the accusations. Police reports confirmed that the incident was caught on camera and the teacher believes that the video evidence will prove her innocence. The state asked for a higher bond to be set for Reszetar but the judge denied the request. She was released from jail on Thursday night and will go to trial if the state moves forward with the charges.
Although it is agreed that Reszetar made an error in judgment, community members think the criminal charges are a harsh punishment for her behavior.
"I don’t think it was the right thing to do," Reszetar’s neighbor Teresa said of her actions. Yet, she goes on to explain that teachers "have to be under a lot of pressure right now with the virus." The judge also refrained from calling her actions criminal during the hearing.
"I think I can fairly characterize this as a severely misguided attempt at discipline," the judge said.
A Pinellas County School District spokeswoman said that Reszetar is still employed by the district but stopped short of commenting on the incident because it is still an open case.
