Parents of a Houston middle school student are fuming after their son's teacher allegedly instructed children in the class to slap his face, reducing the young boy to tears.
Gavin Norman, 14, told his parents that the slapping started after he had been joking with his teacher, who then ordered the other students to slap him, NBC affiliate KPRC reported.
"(They) were hitting me so hard that my glasses broke," Gavin told the station. "I had a knot on my head."
He said he was crying and that his teacher did nothing to stop the other kids.
School district officials overseeing Frank Black Middle School told KPRC that four students were "disciplined" and that the boy's teacher was "reprimanded."
Police "conducted a thorough investigation and presented their findings to the Harris County District Attorney's Office, but charges were declined," the school district said in a statement.
Gavin’s stepfather, Jaime Jaso, said more should have been done and the family is evaluating potential legal options.
"This is an absolute farce," Jaso said of the school district's reaction. "Having the teacher continue his normal duties is a slap in the face."