Parents sue over ’salt’ discipline at day care

SOUTH CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Parents of seven children who were allegedly fed pickling salt as punishment have sued a southwestern Pennsylvania day care center.

State welfare officials investigated the allegations against the Regional Family YMCA of Laurel Highlands in South Connellsville in January 2009, but haven’t said what they found.

Wednesday’s lawsuit alleges children were given the salt as punishment and, last year, the center’s director confirmed the substance was at the center of the allegations.

The center has yet to respond to the lawsuit.

Alum pickling salt can cause nausea, vomiting and burns.

The lawsuit says the children are too young to explain in detail what happened, but say their mouths burned. A supervisor allegedly told one of the parents what happened.