An American teacher had to be rushed to hospital after pupils attacked her with bananas.

The art teacher at Starling K8 School in Columbus, Ohio, suffered the attack when a group of pupils smeared banana on the door knob of her room and then threw bananas at her.

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It was reported that the attack happened despite the pupils being aware that the teacher, named only as Mrs Woods, had displayed a “banana-free zone” sign on her room, because of her severe allergy to her fruit, and had also urged students to wash their hands if they had eaten bananas prior to her classes.

‘Life-threatening consequences’

Mrs Woods had to be rushed to hospital when attempts to treat her on the spot failed, but she recovered after treatment.

A school security officer was heard telling police in a body-cam video at the time of the incident that it “could be attempted murder,” and that “all of the kids know she’s deathly allergic to bananas,..if it touches her, she will go into anaphylactic shock”.

The attack took place last November but has only emerged this week. Local television station ABC 6 discovered the incident while making its Scoring Our School documentary series about conditions and pay in Cleveland schools. 

It has reported that three pupils aged 12-13 were involved and appeared before a juvenile court on assault charges.

They served probation and are understood to have later transferred to other schools.

Columbus City Schools spokesperson Scott Wortman said: “We’re aware of the juvenile court’s ruling on the actions of the students who, last November, endangered the wellbeing of one of our teachers,

“It’s our hope that this was a teachable moment for the children involved and our entire school community on the potentially life-threatening consequences of food allergies.”