Teacher accused of using hot sauce to discipline students under fire again

KISSIMMEE, Fla.,None — WFTV read through dozens of pages of a personnel file belonging to a troubled Osceola County teacher and found out she has a history of bad behavior.

Lillian Gomez was suspended without pay in early February, accused of pouring hot sauce on crayons to discipline autistic students at Sunrise Elementary in Kissimmee.

But WFTV discovered she also put the hot sauce in Play-Doh and forced a student to eat it. The documents also show she sprayed shampoo or sanitizer on a student to stop him from sweating.

Jose Holguin is angry because his 5-year-old was in Gomez's class.

"This is considered child abuse, and that is something that a teacher should know about," said Holguin. "I'm really, really upset about the fact that she did that."

The report shows the school district first investigated Gomez in 2008 for the way she restrained a student at Thacker Elementary. Gomez was reassigned to another position at Thacker Elementary and eventually transferred to Sunrise Elementary. In October 2011, Gomez's teaching aides caught her using hot sauce on the students.

Her teaching aides also told officials Gomez would scream at the students.

Holguin did not know about that or the other incidents until now and it has him wondering what else Gomez might have done.

"I think she has a problem," he said.

WFTV tried to talk to Gomez, but no one answered her door.

Gomez is fighting the school district's plan to fire her. As soon as this investigation wraps up WFTV will update this story with more details.

WFTV