A Florida teacher confronted a fifth-grade student about her sexual orientation in front of her classmates.
The instructor at Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie -- whose name has not been reported -- grilled the student in the classroom last week about rumors circulating the school that she was dating another girl, reports
WPTV
, a local NBC affiliate.
"She asked them if they were together if they were dating as a couple together, and she asked them in a way that they felt they were in trouble," said Jezenia Gambino, the mother of the fifth-grader.
Gambino learned of the incident after her daughter became upset after receiving a text message from the other girl, who is her classmate.
"She wasn't sure if they should hang out together anymore because of what happened in school. She didn't want anyone to think they were gay," Gambino relayed.
After an investigation by the the St. Lucie County School District, the teacher received a verbal warning for inappropriate communication with the student. In a statement sent to WPTV, the district said the "School Board will not tolerate sexual harassment or any other form of illegal harassment by any of its employees, students, volunteers or agents."
The district alerted Gambino to its action via email, but the mother believes the response is insufficient. As a result, she has removed her child from Northport K-8 and is now homeschooling her.
"What they did affected my daughter in a way that now I'm having to go back and fix," she said.
