Students put hand sanitizer in her drink, Hilton Head teacher says. Now, she’s filing charges

Two Hilton Head Island Middle School students were charged with third-degree assault and battery after they put hand sanitizer in their teacher’s drink two days in a row, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

The students, both seventh graders, admitted to putting Germ-X in their teacher’s cup on Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, the report said.

One of the students said on the 16th, she was dared to put the Germ-X on the teacher’s straw and in her drink, the report said.

That day, she “squirted two pumps” in the teacher’s drink, the report said.

The next day, she put some Germ-X on her hands, then put some in her teacher’s drink again, the report said.

The second student said on the 16th, he saw the first student rub Germ-X on the teacher’s straw and put some in the drink, the report said.

On the 17th, he said he “was trying to be funny and faked putting some in her drink, but spilled some on the lid,” the report said. Two other students saw the incident and told the teacher, the report said.

The parents of the students charged with assault were notified and both students will appear in family court, the report said.

Beaufort County School District spokesman Jim Foster said an assault on school personnel is a “level four” violation of the district’s Code for Student Conduct.

It is punishable by up to 10 days of out-of-school suspension, possible recommendation for expulsion, and possible recommendation for reassignment to a different school.