A FEMALE student of a private secondary school on the East Coast of Demerara yesterday remained warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital after ingesting a poisonous substance on Tuesday.

What was equally surprising was the 16-year-old’s revelation that she had ingested the poisonous substance because a male teacher at her school had allegedly been sexually harassing her.

The teen claimed the teacher’s unwanted advances had been occurring over the last several months, but she had remained resolute against his advances; thus, apparently feeling snubbed he had turned to targeting her (picking on her) for unfavourable treatment.

Frustrated, she had resorted to ingesting the substance, which medical staffers at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) were trying desperately to pump out of her system.

She is still under close medical watch.

A few weeks ago, a student of the Brickdam Secondary School had ingested carbon tablets used to exterminate rats, allegedly while she was in the school’s washroom. She had begun vomiting and was rushed to the public hospital by teachers and students, but died hours later.