5th Grader Says Teacher Put Duct Tape Over Her Mouth For Talking Too Much

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CBS Local) -- A mother in Tennessee says she is "angry" and "hurt" after learning a teacher put duct tape over 10-year-old daughter's mouth for talking too much in class.

Victoria Phillips concedes her daughter, Reagan, talks a lot in class, but says she's excited to learn and they have been working well with the teachers at Dupont Tyler Middle School in Nashville.

Then, Phillips says, something happened a couple of weeks ago.

"Reagan started to cry, and I am like, 'What's going on? Tell me what happened Reagan.' And she's said, 'Well she put tape on my mouth.' 'She put tape over your mouth?' And she said, 'Yeah.'" Phillips told WZTV. "'Everybody laughed at me.' And she said, 'I pulled it off' and she said, 'That's why my lip was bleeding.'"

Another fifth-grader who was in the same class corroborated the Reagan's story, but claims it was meant to be a joke and says the teacher respects the students.

Joke or not, Phillips says it wasn't okay.

"That messes with you psychologically for life," she said.

Phillips says she reported the incident to the school's principal and also went to the police. Metro Nashville Public Schools say they are aware of the claims and the Department of Child Services is investigating. Phillips says she's hoping to see some action taken against the teacher.

"I would like for her to make a public statement and a public apology to my daughter," said Phillips. "She was humiliated."