Teacher accused of feeding hot sauce-soaked crayons to student gets job back

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A former Osceola County teacher who allegedly force-fed hot sauce-soaked crayons to a special needs student is being sent back to the classroom, WFTV reporter Kenneth Craig discovered Wednesday.

An appellate judge ruled that Lillian Gomez can have her job back, and the district does not have a choice but to oblige.

For two years, Jose Holguin has been telling WFTV that the last thing he ever wanted to see was Gomez back in a classroom.

"She proved already that she's a danger inside a classroom," said Holguin.

The special needs teacher is accused of soaking crayons in hot sauce and force feeding them to Holguin's son.

Gomez will not only be rehired by the Osceola County School District, but will get a teaching job in a classroom.

"What else can she do to prove to the system that she doesn't have it?" asked Holguin.

WFTV has covered Gomez's case since she was fired from Sunrise Elementary in early 2012.

Later that year, she appealed her firing before an administrative law judge and won.

But the school district refused to take her back, so the ousted teacher took her fight to the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach.

One year later, WFTV obtained a document upholding the judge's original order, which has left the school district with no legal choice, but to put her back to work.

It's something Holguin said he can't understand.

"I've said it and I'll say it again, 'Ms. Gomez, this is not your path. You are not supposed to be teaching,'" he said.

WFTV