At a Glance
- A second parent says a New Jersey teacher’s aide allegedly used hot sauce to discipline children at Dale Avenue Elementary
- Dad Enmanuel Henriquez fears his nonverbal 5-year-old daughter was among those punished
- Paterson Public Schools confirms “the individual involved is no longer employed”
- Why it matters: Parents worry the practice may have happened repeatedly and gone undetected because the special-needs students can’t easily report abuse
A second parent has come forward claiming a teacher’s aide at Dale Avenue Elementary School in Paterson, New Jersey, may have forced hot sauce into children’s mouths as punishment, intensifying scrutiny of the district’s handling of special-needs students.
Second Parent Speaks Out
Enmanuel Henriquez told News Of Los Angeles the school principal phoned him last week to report “an incident” in which a staff member had been giving hot sauce to children as discipline. Henriquez’s daughter Emma, 5, has autism and is nonverbal. While the principal could not confirm whether Emma was affected, citing an ongoing investigation, Henriquez believes she was.
“She couldn’t give me too much detail,” Henriquez, 32, said. “She said it was still under investigation.”
The call mirrored the account of Quasheema Frye, 36, who earlier told News Of Los Angeles that the principal first confirmed and later denied that her son Lamond, also on the autism spectrum, ingested hot sauce.
District Response
A Paterson Public Schools spokesperson told News Of Los Angeles:
- “The District is aware of the allegation regarding an incident at Dale Avenue Elementary School and immediately initiated an investigation in accordance with established protocols.”
- “The individual involved is no longer employed by the District.”
- Proper authorities were notified.
The district cited the ongoing nature of the matter and declined to provide additional details.
How the Allegations Surfaced
The investigation appears to have been triggered by a Dec. 22 Facebook post from substitute teacher Kenya Hilton, who alleged an employee put hot sauce in the mouths of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students “as discipline for their behavior.” Hilton told News Of Los Angeles she did not witness the act but heard about it from another substitute.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| Dec. 22, 2025 | Kenya Hilton’s Facebook post alleges hot-sauce discipline |
| Early January | Quasheema Frye meets with administrators after seeing the post |
| Jan. 9 | Principal allegedly tells Frye that Lamond did ingest hot sauce |
| Jan. 21 | Meeting scheduled with Passaic County District Attorney’s Office |
Parents’ Growing Concerns
Both Henriquez and Frye say they noticed behavioral changes in their children months ago.
- Henriquez: “Every time I pull out the hot sauce for whatever I’m making, she covers her mouth.”
- Neither parent knows how many children were involved or how often the punishment occurred.
- Neither knows the identity of the aide.
“That’s the thing that I’m worried about because my daughter, she wouldn’t tell me if anything is wrong,” Henriquez said. “If they’re giving hot sauce to the kids – I don’t know what else is going on in the school.”
Legal Next Steps
Salaam Ismial, director of the National United Youth Council, is representing both families. He confirmed that Henriquez, Frye, and he are scheduled to meet with the Passaic County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, Jan. 21. The DA’s office did not immediately return a request for comment from News Of Los Angeles.
Key Takeaways
- Two parents now fear their autistic children were force-fed hot sauce at school
- The accused aide no longer works for Paterson Public Schools
- An external investigation by county prosecutors is set to begin
- Parents stress the vulnerability of nonverbal students who cannot easily disclose abuse
