School librarian files lawsuit over exploding toilet

TARPON SPRINGS, FL (KTRK) -- An exploding toilet might sound like a gross joke, but it's a serious matter to one woman in Florida who says a toilet literally blew out in an elementary school bathroom.

"I went to flush, I took one step to the sink and boom!" Anne Burson told Bay News 9 of the incident.

Burson was the librarian at Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School, where the city was working on the school's water lines. Somehow, the pressure buildup caused the side of the toilet to blow out, sending porcelain shrapnel into her leg.

"When they brought me in they said, 'What happened to you?' When I told them, everybody just started laughing," Burson quipped.

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Following the incident, Burson's wound didn't heal properly, and eventually became severely infected.

"I went to the plastic surgeon, he looked at it and he said, 'You know, this is the way people lose limbs.' Oh no," Burson said.

Thankfully, she did not end up losing her limb; she was put on powerful antibiotics for six months.

Burson is now suing the City of Tarpon Springs for pain and suffering and the dark scar on her leg.

The bizarre incident also left her hesitant to reach for the toilet handle.

"It took a long time before I felt comfortable flushing the toilet. I opened the door and flushed and ran, get myself outta there. I did that for a long time," she explained.

The City of Tarpon Springs does not comment on pending litigation.