Teacher fined $1,450 for biting preschooler

French court convicts woman after 4-year-old boy suffers bruised cheek

CAEN, France - A French court has fined a preschool teacher $1,450 for biting the cheek of an allegedly unruly 4-year-old during a bathroom break.

The court in the Normandy town of Lisieux handed down the fine Wednesday over the March 2007 incident in the nearby town of Houlgate.

The teacher had denied the boy's claim and said he had been misbehaving. The ruling came after a medical report showed a bruise on his face.

The school reprimanded the 48-year-old teacher weeks afterward.

In keeping with French judicial practice, the court didn't identify the woman because she is still teaching.