A substitute teacher has been banned this week from an Oregon school district for reportedly telling a Hispanic elementary school student to “go back to Mexico.”

The teacher, who has not been identified, made the offending comment after fifth-grader Steven Zendejas said he didn’t want to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, the boy’s mother told a local ABC affiliate.

“That comment that a substitute made to my son is not appreciated for any of my family members or myself,” said the boy’s mother, Liliana Ruiz.

“She said, ‘If you don’t want to sing, go back to Mexico’ and that made me feel really, really bad,” the boy said.

Steven said he asked the teacher if he could use the bathroom but he went to the vice principal to report the issue instead.

A spokeswoman for the Salem-Keizer School District said the substitute teacher has been barred from teaching at any school in the district.

“We’re really disappointed with what happened yesterday at Swegle Elementary,” said Lillian Govus, district spokeswoman. “We pride ourselves on being a safe and welcoming school district. What that substitute said to that student doesn’t align with our values.”

Ms. Ruiz, who said her son was born in the U.S. and is a citizen, said the punishment against the teacher was justified.