Woman filmed coughing on baby’s face loses job

School district in San Jose says safety of other children was its priority

A woman who appeared to cough on another woman’s child because she did not social distance inside a store, was said to have lost her position with a California school district.

Oak Grove School District said the unnamed woman did not work with the school district in San Jose, California, anymore.

“We want to inform our community that the District employee who was alleged to have engaged in this conduct is no longer an employee of our District,” said Oak Grove school district in a statement.

“The Oak Grove School District’s highest priority is the safety of our students and the well-being of all of the children in the community we serve. We do not tolerate conduct from any employee that compromises any child’s safety.”

The statement did not say whether the woman decided to leave her position, or was dismissed.

San Jose’s police department said last month that the woman “removed her face mask, got close to the baby’s face, and coughed 2-3 times” whilst inside a Yogurtland store on 12 June.

The police department then published CCTV video showing the moment when the woman moved toward a child and coughed.

Mireya Mora, the child’s mother, told NBC Bay Area News last month that she believed the woman’s actions were racially motivated because she is Hispanic.

“She said, ‘So you don’t understand, and do you even understand what I’m saying?’ Like I’m not even speaking English,” said Ms Mora.

San Jose police said the woman was not named because there had been no arrest warrant.

“We can’t release the names of suspects until there is a warrant for their arrest, they were booked into jail, or they were issued a criminal citation,” said San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia last month. “We are not sharing additional information at this time. The investigation is ongoing and we are following up on tips.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meanwhile recommends that people maintain six feet in distance between others when outside, to stop Covid-19 transmission.

Americans have also been advised to wear masks to prevent airborne droplets carrying the virus between persons.