A substitute instructor in Lake County, Florida, faces little one abuse fees after allegedly letting a seventh grader hit her vape pen on faculty grounds.
Jennifer Gaine Hale, 50, was arrested Friday for the incident.
Two boys at Eustic Center Faculty had been speaking over the last interval on Tuesday when one commented on desirous to strive vaping, in accordance with an arrest affidavit obtained by InsideLake.com.
Hale, working as an alternative instructor that day, reportedly advised the scholars she had a nicotine vape pen. After one of many boys walked as much as her desk, she pulled out what was described as “a multi-colored nicotine vape” and requested him if he needed to “hit it,” the arrest report states.
After the boy smoked from the vape, he gave it again to her, in accordance with experiences. She allegedly advised him to watch out as a result of her pen had a salt-like substance on it, however the boy didn’t know what it was, in accordance with the affidavit.
She reportedly advised the boy to not inform anybody as a result of she didn’t wish to get in bother.
Though the boy didn’t inform anybody about vaping with the sub, one other scholar did. The subsequent day, Eustis Center Faculty Principal Michael Spencer requested Hale concerning the incident.
Hale admitted to him that she let the scholar hit her vape and mentioned it was as a result of she was “simply attempting to slot in,” in accordance with Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV TV.
Spencer then reported the incident to the Lake County Faculty Board Human Assets Division earlier than escorting Hale off the campus and telling her she was not allowed to return.
JHB contacted a quantity listed as Hale’s, however the name was not returned.
A Lake County Faculty District spokeswoman advised JHB that Hale “is now not employed with Lake County Faculties.”
As well as, she was arrested and booked into the Lake County jail on a single cost of kid abuse, a third-degree felony, and was later launched on a $1,000 bond.
Hale reportedly began working as an alternative instructor for the district in November 2022 and had no prior disciplinary points.
The dad and mom of scholars attending the varsity had been shocked by the allegations.
“Lecturers. It’s scary now,” Jennifer Hunter, the mom of an eighth grader on the faculty, advised Daytona Seashore NBC affiliate WESH. “I by no means thought {that a} substitute instructor would give my little one that or another person’s little one any of that stuff. Simply different college students.”
Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri advised the station, “You may’t do that. You simply can’t do it. This needs to be frequent sense.”
He added: “She has a accountability to that classroom to guard youngsters. Not abuse them.”