A Pennsylvania school district is investigating after a Black Muslim mother accused of her son’s middle school of violating him in front of his class.

Taliyah Holmes says her son, 11-year-old Jahiir was caught using his phone during school dismissal when a sixth grade math teacher took it away. Instead of giving the child the phone back, Holmes said the teacher made her son get on his knees to beg for it.

“He said, ‘Oh you want your phone back? I need you to beg for it, I need to see tears,” Holmes told Fox 29 News. She said her son was forced to get on his knees while classmates laughed and ridiculed him. One of Jahiir’s classmates tried to stick up for him, but was yelled at.

The mother of that student called Taliyah to explain what happened before Jahiir got home from school.

Advocates supporting the family say the white teacher’s tactics are reminiscent of “buck breaking” used in slavery.

“They would take the strongest slave and break them down and try to belittle them, dehumanize them,” family advocate Nidir Muhammad said.

Holmes added that the teacher forcing Jahiir to kneel violates the family’s religious beliefs.

“Kneeling and begging is animalistic, also my religious beliefs forbids a man to kneel down to anyone but God,” she said.