A male teacher in Arizona, USA is facing 26 counts of indecent exposure and one count of child abuse after he reportedly forced a six-year-old to remove her shirt as a means of punishment, then made her sit naked from the waist up in a packed classroom.
"The outburst frightened the victim and she hid her face in the top of her shirt"
According to American news site KCCI, Adams Elementary teacher Thomas Washburn, 54, was arrested on 15th January on the day the incident happened.
Police said Washburn became "upset for some reason" and started shouting in the classroom filled with two dozen youngsters.
Officers said: "The outburst frightened the victim and she hid her face in the top of her shirt."
The teacher told the girl to take her face out of the shirt and, when she refused to do so, he went to her and completely removed her shirt, leaving her naked from the waist up in front of her classmates for about 10 minutes.
"The girl broke down crying [and] Washburn eventually returned her clothing."
When the victim's mother arrived after school to pick up the child, the teacher reportedly told her what he had done.
"She was extremely upset and immediately contacted the principal's office."
The victim's mother said her daughter was born prematurely and is "developmentally delayed," according to a police report. Detectives have since arrested Washburn and has been charged with 26 counts of indecent exposure (one for every child present in the classroom) and one for child abuse.
Authorities with the school released an official statement, addressing the incident:
"Thomas Washburn has been placed on paid administrative leave and is assigned to home. The district will use the police findings as the basis for any future employment action against Washburn.
"Our first priority is the safety and security of our students. Mesa Police Department is leading the investigation, and we are working cooperatively with them."
The investigation continues.