A high school teacher in Panama City, Fla. could face disciplinary action after writing “WTF” — shorthand for “what the f***” — on a student’s paper recently.

Smith said she understood that her son wouldn’t receive points for an incorrect homework assignment, but it was the profanity that took her aback. “Just seeing WTF... it wasn't anything about not getting the credit,” she told news station WJHG. “It was more so the language...that was very inappropriate and not acceptable.”

Smith now feels the teacher deserves some kind of punishment for the misconduct. "I think for sure she needs to be reprimanded,” she said. “I believe that something should be placed in her file.”

Rutherford High School authorities are investigating an incident in which a teacher wrote an abbreviated profanity on a student's paper. (Photo: Courtesy of WHJG) More

Coy Pilson, the principal of Rutherford High School, said that district officials and the school’s Human Resources department are investigating the incident and plan to take the necessary steps to resolve it.

Pilson told Yahoo Lifestyle that the teacher — who he said “realized she did wrong and is distraught” — will face discipline, but the nature of those consequences will be kept private.

The teacher has declined to speak to the media, and Pilson would not disclose her name. But he did add that “she was apologetic” and the note “was a mistake on her part.”

He also spoke on behalf of the faculty, whom he said are loving but also human. “We make mistakes, but we understand that we are called to a high professional standard,” he told WJHG. “And when we make mistakes, we try to correct those mistakes and move forward.”

Just last month, Rutherford High School was rocked by another scandal, this time involving a student’s racially insensitive and suicidal social media post. Principal Pilson told My Panhandle at the time that the school began investigating the message immediately after it was brought to their attention.

“We do not tolerate social media posts that are disruptive to our school or are violations of our student code of conduct,” he said in a media statement, then declared that no further information would be released due to confidentiality rules.

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