TWILLINGATE, Newfoundland, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- A Canadian teacher in Newfoundland has been suspended for spraying air freshener on a 10-year-old student who had eaten fish for lunch.
The Nova Central School District announced Tuesday the unidentified teacher was suspended with pay while it investigated claims the teacher used Febreze air freshener on Christian Rideout, VOCM Radio reported.
The boy's mother alleges the incident happened last week at the school in Twillingate in northeastern Newfoundland after the boy had a meal of capelin fish for lunch and other students teased him about the odor.
The mother said she wants a formal apology and kept her son out of school until the teacher was suspended, the report said.
Stu Auty, president of the Canadian Safe Schools Network, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. he believes the teacher's goal was to stop the teasing and "I'm sure that the teacher didn't mean to hurt in any way that child."
