Florence High School aide charged after fart-spray incident causes $55,000 in damages

FLORENCE, S.C. — A Florence High School teaching assistant has been arrested after authorities say he repeatedly used a fart spray purchased online that imitates a fecal odor, causing more than $55,000 in damage and disrupting classes from late August through mid-September, according to the Florence County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say Alexander Lewis, 32, bought the spray online and used it multiple times in classrooms between Aug. 25 and Sept. 19. The product is described by investigators as an internet-acquired spray designed to mimic fecal odor. After students raised concerns, the district inspected gas and propane lines and tested air quality, but those tests found no immediate problems. A later review of the school’s air conditioning system identified damage linked to the spray, with district officials estimating the cost at over $55,000.

Some students needed medical attention after exposure. A parent told WKRC that their son has asthma and was rushed to the doctor three times due to symptoms triggered by the odor.

Lewis was arrested on Friday and charged with disturbing schools as a non-student and malicious injury to property exceeding $10,000. He was booked into the Florence County Corrections Facility on a $9,000 bond and released Saturday afternoon. He is scheduled to appear in Florence Magistrate Court for the school-disruption charge on Oct. 15, followed by a Nov. 19 hearing in general sessions court for the malicious-injury charge.

District officials said they cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation and conducted safety checks in response to student concerns, but the tests did not reveal broader air-quality issues beyond the HVAC damage tied to the incident. The case remains under investigation by local authorities.