A Connecticut principal slapped an elderly man several times during a parking lot squabble, police said.

Coleytown Middle School Principal Kris Szabo, 49, was busted on Nov. 27 after a 71-year-old man told police she struck him multiple times when he confronted her for leaving her car in a no-parking zone in Southbury, the Connecticut Post reports.

Witnesses told police that Szabo hit the man three or four times with an open hand, WTIC reports.

Szabo, a veteran educator of more than 25 years, was placed on administrative leave from her post on Wednesday, one day after local outlets reported on her arrest, according to the newspaper.

“Please know that the safety of our students remains our top priority as we address any concerns in our school,” Bedford Middle School Principal Adam Rosen wrote parents in an email.

District officials said the incident remains under investigation. A message seeking additional comment early Thursday was not immediately returned.

Szabo, who was hired as the school’s principal in 2004, had been working at Bedford as extensive renovations continue at Coleytown. She was charged with second-degree breach of peace and has been released after posting $500 bond, the newspaper reports.

Szabo, of Southbury, could not be reached for comment. She’s due back in court Dec. 11. It’s unclear if she’s hired an attorney.