A first grade student in Simpsonville, South Carolina says her teacher threw her shoes in the garbage last week for fiddling with the shoe's strap during class. Taraji Edward, who is only 6-years-old, revealed what happened to her parents the day after the incident when she began to cry and tell her mom she didn't want to wear the shoes because her teacher threw them away, according to local CBS affiliate WSPA 7 News.
Taraji said she was in math class when the strap from her shoes began to bother her, drawing attention from her teacher. "I was messing with my shoes," Taraji told WSPA. "And the teacher told me eight times or seven, and I never listened." It was then Taraji said that her teacher threw her shoes in the trash, making her walk around the classroom barefoot before allowing her to take her shoes out of the garbage and put them back on.
According to WSPA, Taraji said she felt embarrassed by the incident and expressed concern about making friends: "I feel embarrassed, and I did not like how she treated me... that’s not a way I can make friends."
Chartrese Edwards, Taraji's mom, told WSPA she's upset about the way the teacher handled the situation: "I feel like it was malicious behavior. I’m angry about it because you could have used a better method." Edwards also said she spoke with Taraji's teacher and school principal at Bryson Elementary, and that the teacher "easily confessed" to what Taraji says happened.
WSPA reported that the school released a statement saying it's taking the incident seriously:
Greenville County Schools is taking this family’s concerns very seriously. The district does not tolerate embarrassment or humiliation as a form of punishment. This matter is being thoroughly investigated by Bryson Elementary and by district administrators. The investigation is not yet complete. As this is a personnel matter, Greenville County Schools cannot release the teacher’s name or the disciplinary action taken, if the investigation determines that discipline is warranted.
Edwards said she's not yet sure if she will send her daughter back to Bryson, and the family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Taraji to attend private school.
