Parents: Teacher Sprayed Student With Cleaning Solution

AURORA, Ill. (STMW) - The parents of an Aurora seventh-grader have filed a complaint with police, saying his teacher sprayed him in the eyes with a blackboard cleaning solution.

The boy's father said the 12-year-old was talking to another student before a morning class Feb. 23 at Jefferson Middle School when the teacher asked him to be quiet. The teacher then sprayed the boy in the eyes with the solution, the boy's father said.

"You don't do that," the father said. "That's wrong on every level."

West Aurora School District spokesman Mike Chapin said the teacher has been placed on administrative leave while the district investigates. He would not provide any further information because it is a personnel issue.

Aurora police also are looking into the parents' complaint, spokesman Dan Ferrelli said. No charges had been filed as of Wednesday.

After he was sprayed, the boy was taken to the school nurse's office, where his eyes were flushed with water, the boy's father said. The boy returned to class, but 45 minutes later had blurry vision and headaches, his father said. The family took the boy to an eye doctor, who said there was no permanent damage.

The boy's father said his son was talking to a classmate about homework he had missed when the teacher sprayed him.

The father said the teacher later called to apologize and someone from the district called to check on the boy's condition.