Alabama's "Teacher of the Year" stripped of her title after a violent home video

In Alabama, an elementary school teacher recently named "Teacher of the Year" was arrested and fired after a video of her beating her 12-year-old son with a belt at least 20 times went viral.

Second-grade teacher Nicole Staples became embroiled in controversy when someone leaked footage from her living room online. In the video, she can be heard yelling at the boy:

"You're not sorry!" Staples screams, repeatedly slapping the child, who cries in pain.

She continues:

"If you were any smarter... you wouldn't be causing problems in this house!"

Two other children were in the house at the time of the beating, but it's unclear who was filming it.

The situation came to light when the eldest son, 24-year-old Jackson Staples, who no longer lives with the family, told Fox10 that he was the one who leaked the video to administration at Cottage Hill Christian Academy, where his mother worked. He claimed she had been "doing this his whole life."

After receiving the video, the school immediately contacted the police. Staples was arrested on Wednesday and charged with intentional cruelty to a child. She was immediately fired from the school.

County Sheriff Paul Burch called the incident "outrageous" and emphasized that the charges could expand: "This is far beyond any acceptable disciplinary action."

Staples posted $7,500 bail and left jail that evening.

According to her eldest brother, the three younger children are currently staying with a relative.