FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A North Carolina high school teacher says he has been placed on leave after students say he stepped on an American flag as part of a history lesson.

The Fayetteville Observer reports Massey Hill Classical High School teacher Lee Francis said he was informed of his status by the Cumberland County Schools human resources department. Francis said he’s scheduled to meet with system officials on Thursday to discuss the incident stemming from a lesson in his history class.

News media outlets quote students as saying Francis asked students for a lighter or scissors, and when no one produced them, he put the flag on the floor and stomped on it. Reports quote Francis as saying on his Facebook page that he was discussing a court case involving flag desecration.