A paraprofessional at Whitehead Road Elementary School in Athens, Ga. was put on leave after putting clear packaging tape over a girl's mouth to prevent her from talking, WXIA-TV reported.
Clark Country Superintendent of Schools Philip Lanoue told the Athens Banner-Herald that this kind of treatment isn't allowed at the elementary school.
"This incident is counter to our philosophy and how we work with kids, and we will not tolerate it. Swift action will always be taken if there are any issues like this in our district."
According to reports, the aide put the tape on the student's mouth near the end of the Wednesday school day at around 2:25 p.m. because the child would not quiet down.
Although the little girl pulled the tape off within seconds, the classroom teacher reported the incident to school administrators.
School officials informed the child's parents of what had happened and the disciplinary actions they took.
Currently, Georgia is one of only 19 states that allow corporal punishment, but that could change soon, the Independent Mail reported. A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York last week aims to ban "paddling, spanking, or other forms of physical punishment, however light, imposed upon a student."
Under the proposal, states that do not ban corporal punishment could face losing federal funding for their schools.