When we first have kids, we tap into a primal need to protect our kids, no matter the cost. This can be through actually keeping them safe physically, looking after the decisions that they make, or just giving them solid advice and guidance.

This is precisely the reason that some parents get nervous when their kids go off to school. It’s a place where they have to hand over care of their kids to someone else – typically strangers – and hope that the teachers can guide them in the right direction.

When Victoria Phillips’ 10-year-old daughter ran home one day sobbing, Victoria initially thought that the teacher had failed in her responsibility. It was only when she inquired about what had happened, however, that the true extent of the irresponsibility became apparent.

As Victoria elaborated: “Reagan started to cry, and I am like, ‘What’s going on? Tell me what happened Reagan.’ And she’s like, ‘Well she put tape on my mouth.’ ‘She put tape over your mouth?’ And she said, ‘Yeah.’

“‘Everybody laughed at me.’ And she said, ‘I pulled it off’ and she said, ‘That’s why my lip was bleeding.’”

It turns out that Reagan had been embarrassed in front of her whole class after her teacher had taped up her mouth to prevent her from talking in class.

Victoria says that her little girl is an eccentric student who frequently volunteers to answer questions in class. She admits that at times she can be a little too excited when she answers questions, but that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

“I’m angry, I’m hurt, and I’m driven,” Victoria said.

“That messes with you psychologically for life. I would like for her (the teacher) to make a public statement and a public apology to my daughter. She was humiliated.”