DAYTON, Texas – A Dayton ISD mother is livid after her daughter told her a teacher made her get on the floor and pick up a piece of paper with her teeth.
The incident happened at Woodrow Wilson Junior High School. The 14-year-old daughter, who does not wish to be identified, says she crumpled up a piece of paper, then threw it into the garbage as if she was shooting a basketball. The paper did not make it into the trash can.
"So the teacher told me to lie down on the floor, pick it up with my teeth and put it in the trash can," the 14-year-old said.
She says she was in shock when the teacher asked her to do this, but she followed directions, as her classmates laughed. "It was upsetting to me, but I really didn't want to say anything because it was a new year for me and I was a new student," the 14-year-old said.
District spokeswoman Stacey Gatlin issued the following statement regarding the incident:
"It was brought to our attention that a Dayton ISD Teacher did not use proper protocol when disciplining a student for throwing a piece of paper during class. This is not a standard disciplinary practice used at Dayton ISD and immediate administrative action was taken with this teacher."
The teacher ended up apologizing the next day, but the student's mother, Michelle Arceneaux, doesn't feel it is enough. "She belittled her and made her feel like an animal and I told the teacher: ‘I have a Chihuahua at home, if she needs a dog to pick up her trash, I can give her one." Arceneaux said.
Arceneaux is speaking out in hopes no other students will have to go through the same thing. She plans to take her daughter out of the class.