Dora the Explorer actress given preferential treatment after allegedly caught vaping at school, lawsuit claims

Miss Ptacek was apparently suspended for 3 days after being caught

Fatima Ptacek (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

The actress who voices the children’s character Dora the Explorer is at the centre of a lawsuit against a school after she was allegedly caught puffing on a vape pen, which did not contain nicotine, in a school bathroom.

A Supreme Court civil case against the school was launched by the parents of a 14-year-old pupil at a Manhattan private school whose daughter was expelled when she was caught vaping. The lawsuit claims their daughter was used as a “scapegoat” given that 15-year-old actress Fatima Ptacek was also allegedly caught “using a vapour pen to inhale caramel-flavoured water” on the same occasion last year but only received three days suspension.

The parents suggest Ptacek, who also starred in the 2012 Oscar-winning film Curfew, was given preferential treatment due to her actor and voiceover status.

“The fact that F.P. is a known actress for being the voice of Dora Explorer may have played a role in why she was ultimately not expelled even after the school threatened as much, and M.S. [the daughter] was expelled instead as a scapegoat,” the lawsuit says.

The parents, Nadia Leonelli and Fredrik Sundwall, are seeking damages to cover the tuition payments and legal fees and want their daughter reinstated at school. They claim their daughter only smoked the vape pen to appear “cool” around Ptacek and had never been in trouble before.

A spokesperson for Manhatten Avenues: The World School reportedly told the New York Daily News that matters involving litigation and discipling students were "private and confidential".

"Avenues has very high standards of conduct... and follows a fair and appropriate process when there are infractions. We know students will make mistakes and inappropriate choices. But we expect them to take accountability for them and behave honourably moving forward."

Ptacek has voiced the character of Dora since 2012 and carried the cartoon character onto the spin-off show Dora and Friends: Into the City since 2014. The programme centres around the bilingual character who embarks on adventures, overcoming obstacles along the way, with a talking purple backpack-in-tow.

The Independent has contacted representatives for Ms Ptacek and the school for comment.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.