Florida teacher accused of smearing feces at park, disrupting child's birthday party after workplace dispute

Heather Carpenter was charged with damaging property and criminal mischief for the incident. (Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.)

Thousands of dollars of park equipment had to be replaced and a child's birthday party was canceled after a Florida woman allegedly spread human feces across tables and grills at an outdoor venue last month, according to police.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said 42-year-old Heather Carpenter, a substitute teacher at Phillippi Shores Elementary School, faces felony criminal mischief and property damage charges for the incident on Dec. 1.

Deputies said Carpenter was seen placing human waste and fecal matter on the wooden tables and grills under the pavilion at Urfer Family Park in Sarasota around 6:30 a.m.

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A man who was in the park at the time told FOX13 he saw Carpenter was wearing a surgical mask and blue rubber gloves.

"When I realized what she did, I was shocked and appalled," Mike Hutchinson said.

The human feces was allegedly spread around tables and grills at Urfer Family Park in Sarasota, Fla. (FOX13)

He told FOX13 that Carpenter took off as soon as she realized she'd been caught.

“When I walked back over here to see what was going on the smell hit me and I noticed that she did it to every table," Hutchinson told the television station. "Wiped it on every table, it was on the ground, yeah, it was a mixture of urine and feces and she had it in a big cup and was just pouring it out and wiping it in.”

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Deputies said that the principal of the elementary school had organized a birthday party at the park, and had invited all the children in Carpenter's class, including the 42-year-old's child. The two were involved in some sort of a dispute the week before the party, according to FOX13.

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After being identified by witnesses, Carpenter admitted to intentionally placing the waste at the park with the intent of disrupting the party. The 42-year-old said she was displeased with how the principal was handling their dispute, according to FOX13.

Officials said that the county had to shell out over $2,300 to replace the tables and grills, including labor costs.