A recently appointed teacher is likely to be fired from a Livingston, Tennessee elementary school for writing the word ‘stupid’ on a student’s forehead with a permanent marker, writes Leigh Goessi at Digital Journal.

Alex Boles just started his job this past fall and now looks set to lose his position as math teacher at the Allons Elementary school after writing on the boy’s face. The student had asked a question in class.

After answering the query, the educator allegedly took out the marker and, in what the teacher claims was a misjudged joke, wrote the word ‘stupid’ across the eighth-grade student’s forehead.

Matt Eldridge, the director of Overton County Schools, is far from happy with the incident, reports WSMV. School administrators suspended the math teacher immediately after finding out what happened and a full investigation has begun.

“One word can break a child I mean I’ve got three children and I wouldn’t want it done to mine,” said Eldridge.

“We’re here to help the children and not to hurt them.”

The teacher was allegedly rather nonchalant about the issue, wanting to shrug it off, reports claim.

“The teacher said, ‘I was trying to joke with him,’ and of course, I said, ‘That’s not the way you joke with anyone,’” Eldridge said.

The school district has been open about hoping to fire the teacher. They are, however, allowing him due process and won’t take action until the investigation is complete.

ABC News reported that the teacher is also being investigated for other “inappropriate behavior”. Eldridge said that they’re “trying to get anyone who’s witnessed other things.”

The Overton County Schools director pointed out that district officials are discussing the issues with teachers and other faculty members.

“At that point we’re going to turn it in to our attorneys. They’ll come back with what’s warranted with [regard to] charges, and what’s not.”

Bizarrely, the teacher not only wrote the word ‘stupid’ on the student’s forehead, but he wrote the word backwards. It is thought that this elaborate measure was so that the boy could easily read the word when he looked in the mirror.

“The extra thought that went into it is especially troubling for those in charge of the district,” reported WSMV.

KMOV claim that the Sheriff’s office is weighing up its options and is thought to be considering filing assault charges against the teacher.