FORT PIERCE, Fla. – A Florida student who recorded her science teacher bullying a student was suspended for a week because school officials allege the recording is illegal.

District officials also terminated the teacher in the recording, but local law enforcement told TC Palm the student’s conduct wasn’t criminal, unless there is an expectation of privacy in the classroom.

Brianna Cooper, 11, told the media she was called to the principal’s office at Samuel Gaines Academy and suspended for five days after she turned over a recording of her science teacher chewing out a student last week.

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District officials apparently lifted the suspension early and allowed Cooper to return to school Monday, after local media reports highlighted the incident.

“Don’t let size fool you. I will drop you,” the teacher told a student in the recording. “You don’t know me, that’s all I’m saying. So, don’t give me no look.”

In another point in the recording, the teacher tells the student “You’re the biggest kid in the fifth grade and you’re acting like the smallest one. … I wonder what your mom looks like,” according to TC Palm.

“I thought I did the right thing,” Cooper told WPTV, “but I guess I just got suspended.”

Cooper said she took the video because it wasn’t the first time the teacher had been mean to his students. Cooper’s mother, Cassie Faulkner, said district officials told her they suspended her daughter because it’s against the law to record the teacher without their knowledge, according to WPTV.

“Do you think they would actually believe a student over a teacher?” she said. “I’ve never had anybody tell me you can’t record.”

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That’s likely because it’s not illegal to record someone in Florida without their knowledge, as long as there is no expectation of privacy, local law enforcement told TC Palm.

“Florida law makes an exception for in-person communications when the parties do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the conversation, such as when they are engaged in conversation in a public place where they might reasonably be overheard,” according to the Digital Media Law Project.

“If you are operating in Florida, you may record these kinds of in-person conversations without breaking the law. However, you should always get the consent of all parties before recording any telephone conversation and any in-person that common sense tells you is private.”

Faulkner told TC Palm she doesn’t believe there is an expectation of privacy in a public school classroom with dozens of students toting cell phones.

“She thought she was doing a good thing. She’s 11-years-old. She doesn’t know the law,” Faulkner told WPTV.

Faulkner is also concerned her daughter will miss out on prep work for upcoming state standardized tests because of the illogical suspension.

Her daughter’s punishment for standing up to her bullying teacher doesn’t make sense, Faulkner said.

“It’s pretty much saying to students if you think something is wrong, don’t try and do anything about it,” Faulkner said.

District officials would not discuss the case, but St. Lucie Public Schools Superintendent Genelle Yost issued a statement announcing that the recorded teacher was fired last Friday.

“Kerry Padrick, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction with the the St. Lucie County School District, said in a statement that St. Lucie public schools is concerned about the incident and that the teacher’s actions are not representative of the quality staff who work at the school,” according to TC Palm.