Teacher Accused Of Spraying Disinfectant On Children For Not Wearing Mask Properly

A teacher from Florida has been arrested on four counts of child abuse for spraying disinfectant on children who didn't wear their masks properly.

Christine Reszetar, a 51-year-old high school teacher in Largo, was arrested and booked into Pinellas County Jail on Wednesday. She appeared in court on Thursday.

According to the police report, Reszetar sprayed aerosol disinfectant on the students for refusing to wear their masks properly. She allegedly sprayed them "into the path of their faces and bodies," said the arrest affidavit as per local news outlet 8 On Your Side.

Reszetar told the court that she has been a teacher for 21 years and currently teaches Learning Disabled Math at Largo High School. She has no previous criminal record.

The police confirmed that the whole incident was captured in surveillance video. Reszetar, however, claimed in court that the video would disprove the allegations against her.

"I think I can fairly characterize this as a severely misguided attempt at discipline," the judge said in court Thursday.

The court ordered Reszetar's release from jail without a bond. She will face trial if the state moves forward with the charges.

"I don't think it was the right thing to do," Reszetar's neighbor Teresa commented on the incident. Although she empathized with the students and their families, she thought the arrest was excessive. "Teachers have to be under a lot of pressure right now with the virus."

A spokesperson from the Pinellas County School District told 8 On Your Side that Reszetar is still employed at the school.

In a similar incident last month, an Arizona mother was accused of assaulting her three children for not wearing masks after they tested positive for COVID-19. According to a report from NBC Los Angeles, the woman was arrested and charged with three counts of child abuse and three counts of assault. She allegedly hit the first child in the face, kicked the second one and held the third one by the neck as a reaction to them not wearing masks despite having the virus.