Mystery odour that plagued school for weeks was a teacher ‘using fart spray’

A teaching assistant has appeared in court after using a spray so foul-smelling that students needed medical treatment, it’s been reported.

Alexander Lewis, a teaching assistant at West Florence High School in South Carolina, used a spray he bought online that mimics the smell of faeces.

Court documents claim Lewis used the spray repeatedly between August 25 and September 19 which caused disruption to classes, impacted the school’s air system, and sent students to the nurse with respiratory issues.

His actions reportedly cost the school about $55,000 (£40,000) for multiple inspections and repairs to its air conditioning system.

Students and staff suffered headaches, nausea and dizziness due to the foul stench.

He was arrested after school CCTV caught him walking through the school’s breezeway with an object in his hand, spraying something before slipping the item into his pocket.

Lewis has denied responsibility, saying he was spraying a lemon-scented hand sanitiser – with police finding that sanitiser when searching his car.

After the search Lewis, 32, was arrested on the charges of malicious injury to property exceeding $10,000 and disturbing schools as a non-student, ABC News reports.

Authorities indicated further charges are possible.

Last month Florence County reassured parents that the school’s gas lines, propane systems and air quality were running safely and as normal, Local12 reports.

One parent said: ‘My son’s asthma has been triggered multiple times because of this and I had to take him to the doctor three times.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.