![A school student was put in a "bad kid box" as a form of punishment. The boy has Asperger's syndrome.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/3e/ff/3eff4e0eadcc1c4d6a39f62b2125175e.JPG?itok=qMQBoW_x "A school student was put in a "bad kid box" as a form of punishment. The boy has Asperger's syndrome.")
A teen student was put in a bad kid box as a cruel method of punishment by a teacher at a Parkersburg, W. Va. school, Parkersburg News and Sentinel reports Jan. 8. The box was labeled "bad kid fort" for behavioral issues 15-year-old Caleb Richards exhibited. He was singled out for this means of humiliating punishment. Other students faced more dignified discipline by being sent out of the classroom.
The boy's parents -- Beth Dean and Jeff Richards -- said the social studies teacher embarrassed their son.
"Instead of sending him out of the room or any other myriad of options, she fashioned a large cardboard box and placed the box around his seat, completely enclosing him, in front of 30 of his peers," Dean told the news source.
What makes this ordeal further upsetting is the teen with special needs already had problems with self-esteem.
"This did not help and destroyed the years of counseling and encouragement we have provided to make sure he has a good self-image," Dean added.
The student was placed in the box for approximately 15 minutes at a time.
The school downplayed the incident until another student took a photo of the bad kid box. Now the school system and child protective services will have a meeting over this situation.
Caleb's parents are proud of their son for handling the bad kid box punishment as well as he did. He managed to get through the humiliating experience before his classmates. This draws attention to the fact teachers need to be well-trained in learning how to appropriately manage those with Asperger's -- or any form of special needs disorders.
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