Parents searching for answers after ECISD teacher placed on leave

ECTOR COUNTY, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The parents of a 5-year-old Odessa boy are searching for answers after they said their special needs son, an Ireland Elementary student, was spanked by a teacher at school. According to an Ector County ISD spokesperson, ECISD police are investigating. 

The District said in a statement, "Friday, the school received an allegation that a teacher had spanked a child. ECISD police were notified and began an investigation. The teacher is on paid administrative leave while the investigation is taking place."

According to family, the kindergarten student at the center of the investigation suffers with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a condition that causes skeletal and heart muscle weakness and gets worse with time. The child's parents said they are concerned because any impact could seriously harm their son. 

"It was all caught on video...I was running errands with my wife when we got a call from the principal that there'd been an incident with my son, that a teacher had spanked his thigh and that the police were investigating," the boy's father said. 

According to the parents, their son was holding a colorful rock that the accused teacher took away, which prompted him to kick. That's when the teacher reportedly struck his leg.

"His size compared to an adult's...I mean he is probably the smallest five-year-old in school. He kicked and we don't condone that, we've talked to him about kicking and hittin...