MIAMI LAKES — A Miami Lakes special education teacher was sentenced today to two years of probation after she was found guilty of putting hot sauce in an autistic student's soda, WFOR-Ch. 4 reports.
Sylvia Tagle also was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
The boy's parents said they were outraged at what they call a "lenient" sentence.
"It's really sad and you know what? It really, really sends a bad message to everyone," the father told the judge.
Last month, Tagle was convicted of abuse after she gave a soda with hot sauce in it to the Bob Graham Educational Center student to teach him a lesson.
Tagle says the boy grabbed the soda from her desk when she was with other students.
Tagle could have faced up to five years in prison.
Jurors found Tagle not guilty of three other charges, including pulling a student's hair and not changing soiled diapers.
Elated the case had come to an end with no prison time, Tagle said she loves her job and the children she teaches.
"I love all my autistic children," she told WFOR. "That's why I've done it for so many years. It's not an easy task but I love doing it. And whatever happened was not done intentionally."
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