Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Teacher Washes Out Boy's Mouth With Soap: Police

Police say a central Pennsylvania teacher washed out a 10-year-old boy's mouth with soap, but they've determined it wasn't a crime.

Ciara White says her 10-year-old son Donald Thomas got into an argument with another student at Camp Curtin Academy in Harrisburg while the teacher was out on Oct. 13, according WHP-TV. When the teacher return and learned what happened, she punished Thomas, White said.

"She told me to go by the sink and she got a bar of soap and she started rubbing it on my tongue," Thomas told WHP-TV.

White says when she found out she was "upset" and "confused." She went to the school and called the police because, to White, "this is assault."

Officials with the Harrisburg School District said they wouldn't comment on the matter, citing student confidentiality issues.

Police Capt. Gabriel Olivera tells Pennlive.com that the police investigation confirmed their claims, but that the teacher's actions — even if true — don't amount to a crime.

The boy says he doesn't want to go back to Camp Curtin while the teacher — who police and school officials haven't identified — still works there. The district won't say whether the teacher has been disciplined.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us