An assistant teacher has been arrested after he allegedly used a foul-smelling spray throughout the school in South Carolina.
Alexander Paul Roberts Lewis, 32, had purchased the pungent liquid, which is designed to smell like fecal matter, online, according to local authorities.
Students at West Florence High School, around 80 miles east of the state capital, Columbia, had been complaining about a bizarre odor since August 25, with many reporting that it was making them feel unwell.
The school launched an urgent investigation into the smell, spending $55,000 on inspections and air conditioning repairs. Even the high school’s gas lines, propane systems, and air quality had been inspected.
However, the source of the odor remained a mystery.
Eventually, students began experiencing nausea, dizziness, and migraines with some seeking medical attention for respiratory issues connected to the smell.
“Personally, as a student, every time I go to my second block class, I walk up the stairwell and immediately, teachers are covering their noses and their mouths, coughing because of the smell.”
“I got physically sick the other day because of the smell.
“I feel like I’m going to pass out because I get so lightheaded and so dizzy,” said one student to ABC News.
Parents had become increasingly worried about the health impact that the smell could have on their children as it continued to appear around the school.
“My [son’s] asthma has been triggered multiple times because of this, and I had to take him to the doctor three times,” one parent said, asking to remain anonymous.
Eventually, Lewis was arrested in connection with the smell by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office on September 19.
The FCSO has charged him with malicious injury to property and with disturbing schools (non-student).
Now, parents have been left confused as authorities continue to investigate.
“It’s frustrating this gentleman was responsible for our kids, and I would love to have him say why he did it, why he thought it was funny, what he hoped to gain from it, and why did he continue to do it after he learned kids were getting sick,” one parent said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the assistant teacher was seen spraying an unidentified liquid around the school on surveillance footage obtained by the authorities. Lewis has claimed that the spray contained a lemon-flavoured hand sanitizer.
The FCSO has confirmed that Lewis was held at Florence County Corrections Facility before being released on Saturday. He is now scheduled to appear at Florence Magistrates Court for the school disruption charge and at a general sessions court for the malicious injury charge.
His bond was reportedly set at over $9,000, with $8,000 being tied to the malicious injury charge and the remaining $1,090 being tied to interfering with schools.
