Substitute teacher accused of verbal attack

PUTNAM CITY, OK (KTRK) -- One Oklahoma parent told KOKH that a substitute teacher made a verbal attack toward her child, referencing president Donald Trump.

At an Oklahoma school, officials say the substitute teacher no longer works there.

This substitute teacher allegedly verbally attacked a Hispanic student.

They can't tie the teacher's leave of absence to this specific incident, but KOKH can tell you they took swift action. The mother of the student, Ladonna Serna, said she was shocked by the whole incident.

"So you basically told us you're going to throw us out like Donald Trump?", said Ladonna's son through a recorded video.

"The teacher took it upon herself to stand in the middle of the classroom at the podium and say to them, 'If my name were Donald Trump, I would send you all out of this country,'" Serna said.

Serna told KOKH that her son, along with other students, were being a little obnoxious during science class. That's when the teacher allegedly made that statement, calling her son and another child a mistake.

"That's, I think, what upset me the most is when she said to my child and his friend that they were mistakes. No child is brought into this world as a mistake," Serna said.

School officials said in a statement, "The principal met with a concerned parent the morning of the incident, agreed with her concerns and told her the substitute teacher would not be in the building the rest of the day. That promise was kept."

"You never think that it's going to affect your children," Serna said. "You never think you're going to be the one that has to say, hey, this isn't okay."

KOKH wanted to know the requirements to become a substitute teacher.

School officials said, "In our district, substitute teachers must be at least 19-years-old, are required to pass two criminal background checks and undergo annual training. A college degree is preferred but not required."

For Serna, she's just hoping her son will remain positive despite this incident.

"I have completely told them; this is not a reflection of how everyone feels. These are people's individual views and they shouldn't care what people think," Serna said.

The mother said this isn't a negative reflection on the school, saying they've never had any issues regarding their ethnicity, but more so this is an observation of the substitutes character.