A 7-YEAR-OLD U.S. girl was ordered to get on her hands and knees to scrub the floors of her school with a toothbrush as punishment for chatting during class.

The unusual incident took place at Lake Alfred Elementary in Polk County, Florida, last week. The child’s aunt, Kiara Francisco, took to her Facebook page to express her anger over the matter.

Francisco said her niece had been in Rebecca Schinleber-Ratter’s classroom at the time, when she was also forced to scrub the conjoining floor of teacher Helena Mays’ room.

The child later returned home, where she complained to her parents that her back was aching.

“She came to me (and said) ‘mom, my back is hurting,’ and I said, well, tell me what’s wrong,” the girl’s mother, Ashley Kirpech, told WFTS Tampa Bay.

An outraged Kirpech added, “She could have re-arranged your bookshelf, sorted the books in ABC order, she could have done any of that but on the floor was just unacceptable.”

The mother and father, Kenneth Gamble, were not made aware of any behavioral issues their child had been having before she came home complaining about her back.

“You would think when you send your child to school that this is going to be the last thing you would hear happening to your child, but here we are,” Gamble said.

Both Schinleber-Ratter and Mays have been placed on administrative leave.

Principal at the school, Matt Burkett, was reportedly “shocked” to learn of the teachers’ harsh punishment for the child.

Polk County Schools issued an apology following the backlash.

“We are deeply concerned about the allegations regarding two teachers at Lake Alfred Elementary,” the statement read.

“We have begun a formal investigation, and both teachers have been placed on administrative leave. This matter is also being investigated by law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families, with our full cooperation.

“Our schools are required to follow a Code of Student Conduct; it is expected that all disciplinary measures be handled in a manner that is respectful to the students and preserves their dignity.

“If true, the allegations described at Lake Alfred Elementary are completely unacceptable.”

(SD-Agencies)