Only in America
Only in America: Pedophobia? No kidding
An Ohio K-12 teacher claims discrimination over her fear of kids — and more in our collection of strange revelations about the nation
Maria Waltherr-Willard, 61, is suing her Cincinnati-area school district for violating an implied contract to keep her away from young kids. Waltherr-Willard, who quit in 2011, had taught high school French for more than 30 years before the district reassigned her to teach middle school Spanish. Since the 1990s, she has suffered from pedophobia, a fear of younger kids that causes anxiety, chest pains, vomiting, nightmares, and dangerously high blood pressure. "It's a tough phobia," says Dr. Caleb Adler.