Teacher Allegedly Used Hot Sauce to Punish Special Needs Student

A special needs student who attended the Glendale Unified School District in Southern California is suing the district after his teacher allegedly poured hot sauce in his mouth as punishment for blowing bubbles in class. 

The plaintiff in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit is only identified as "N.M." in court filings. The unnamed student alleges that Annie Ghazarian, who is described in the lawsuit as a teacher and behavioral intervention assistant, "forcibly poured hot sauce in N.M.'s mouth as punishment after she saw him blowing bubbles with his mouth." 

Ghazarian is being sued for negligence, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and discrimination based on the boy's disability, as well as civil rights violations. 

N.M. is a minor, and will have a guardian appointed on his behalf to represent him as the lawsuit moves forward through the system. 

The suit states that N.M.'s disability "substantionally (limits) many of his major life activities" and that he meets the legal standard of a person with a disability under the American With Disabilities Act. According to the suit, the boy suffered pain, mental suffering, humiliation, emotional distress and an "interference with his ability to participate in education." 

The abuse allegedly occurred at Earl Bird Preschool in Glendale on Feb. 2nd 2017 the suit states. 

The plaintiff is seeking unspecified triple damages. 


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