Woman injured by exploding toilet sues city

TARPON SPRINGS (FOX 13) - A former Tarpon Springs teacher who says she was injured by shrapnel from an exploding toilet is now suing the city.

Anne Burson is a retired librarian from Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary.

In 2012, she says she had just flushed and was washing her hands when the toilet exploded, sending shrapnel into her leg.

“It just made a big loud noise! Kaboom,” Burson described.

She says she went to a nearby emergency room, but a week later the wound became infected. She claims she was confined to a chair for six months and had to have a nurse visit her every day.

The now retired-teacher blames the City of Tarpon Springs. In the lawsuit, she says city maintenance workers charged pressure on a water line that caused the explosion.

“It was terrible,” Burson said. “It was the last year of my career and I had planned all of the kids doing fun stuff.”

The City of Tarpon Springs declined comment.