Woman Who Coughed On Baby ID’d As SJ School District Employee

SAN JOSE, CA — A woman captured on video coughing on a baby at a South Bay frozen yogurt shop earlier this month has been identified as South Bay school district employee.

The suspect was standing in line at Yogurtland on 5638 Cottle Road in San Jose in front of a woman who was with her 1-year-old child, who was in a stroller, at around 5:25 p.m. on June 12 according to the San Jose Police Department, which released surveillance video of the incident.

The suspect is seen on the surveillance video walking up to the stroller, pulling down her mask, and coughing in the baby's face two to three times.

Police said a dispute over social distancing precipitated the assault.

The suspect, described as a white female in her 60s with a medium build, had not been arrested as of late Wednesday night according to a San Jose Mercury News report.

But Oak Grove School District Superintendent Jose L. Manzo issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging that the suspect is a District employee.

Manzo said employee is “off work” and confirmed that the District is cooperating with investigators.

“We do not tolerate conduct from any employee that compromises any child’s safety,” Manzo’s statement said.

“We are aware of an incident allegedly involving one of our employees who was videotaped coughing on a baby at a local eatery. The employee is currently off of work and not providing any services to our District students. This matter is under investigation by the San Jose Police Department and we want to ensure you that the District is cooperating with the law enforcement authorities.

“Because this matter is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, we are not able to comment further on this matter.”

The incident is especially concerning because it occurred amid a global pandemic. The coronavirus is a respiratory illness known to be spread by airborne droplets.

The case has generated national media coverage, including a report in The Washington Post that said the 1-year-old boy was “traumatized,” according to the mother.

“She coughed on him super hard. It wasn’t an accident,” Mireya Mora told The Post. “A person with a heart that cares would not do that to a baby.”

“He’s been traumatized,” Mora added.

Mora, who is of Hispanic descent, suspects racism played a role in the incident, according to the report.

She told The Post that an employee confirmed that she’d been adhering to social distancing rules after the suspect complained to a Yogurtland employee.

Mora, who was with her grandmother at the time of the incident, is seen on the surveillance video stopping in front of a pink line.

“I believe it’s racism because the woman in front of me, she did not start harassing me and my family until I started speaking Spanish to my grandmother,” Mora told The Post.

“She was super close to the people in front of her, they were also white, she did not tell them anything. She didn’t have a problem with it.”

Mora told The Post she hopes to see the suspect criminally prosecuted for what police described as “an assault.”

“Her coughing is a deadly weapon because she doesn’t know if she has coronavirus,” Mora told The Post.

“She attacked a defenseless baby.”

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