DALLAS — An elementary school teacher was placed on emergency leave after allegedly ordering second-graders to line up and take turns hitting a classmate.

Dallas Independent School District (search) officials said the Seagoville Elementary School teacher was placed on emergency leave Monday, and several parents said they have pulled their children out of the teacher's class.

Shellee DeChant said her son, who takes medication daily at school for emotional problems, came home May 6 saying he "got in trouble" for hitting another boy. But she said school officials called to tell her the teacher had allowed other students to take turns hitting her son.

DeChant told The Dallas Morning News that the teacher called her Sunday to apologize, saying "she had made a bad decision."