TARBORO, NC - Parents of a North Carolina fifth grader say their child was punished for referring to his teacher as "ma'am," WTVD reports.
Teretha Wilson told the news outlet that she noticed something was wrong when her 10-year old son Tamarion got off the school bus from North East Carolina Preparatory School.
"I asked him what happened. He said he got in trouble for saying 'yes ma'am'," explained Wilson.
The teacher had reportedly told Tamarion to write the word "ma'am" four times per line on both side of a sheet of paper because he kept referring to her as "ma'am" despite being told not to. As part of his punishment, Tamarion had to have the paper signed by a parent.
"He had a look on his face of disappointment, shame," Tamarion's father said.
The 10-year-old was hospitalized last month for a seizure-related activity, which included memory loss and hallucinations, something the teacher was unaware of, according to WTVD.
The school rectified the issue following a meeting with the teacher and the principal. Tamarion has been moved to a new class.