It probably seemed like a good idea at the time, a way to shake up the ordinary routine and really bring home the point of a seventh grade social studies lesson. Teacher Ellen Bernstein, who happens to be white, was discussing the conditions under which African captives were taken to America in slave ships. To demonstrate, she bound the hands and feet of two students, who happen to be black, with tape and had them crawl under a desk.

One of the girls recounted the experience to her mother, Christine Shand, and reportedly burst into tears over the embarrassment. Shand complained to the school district and called the local chapter of the NAACP.

Bernstein apologized to Shand and her daughter, Gabrielle, during a meeting last week but Shand thinks the teacher should face disciplinary action. North Rockland School District Superintendent Brian Monahan told the Associated Press “If a student was upset, then it was a bad idea,” but refused to say what, if any, measures were taken against Bernstein.

With hindsight being 20/20, it obviously was a bad idea, but using the measuring stick of a 13-year-old girl’s notoriously volatile emotions to determine good teaching practice sets a dangerous precedent. Shand said she has not decided whether or not she will pursue any further action, including filing a lawsuit.