wth, anyone who does that to a child should be locked up forever.

I agree with you 100%. There are many strategies for dealing with disruptive behavior, none of them involve putting your hands on a child...especially a small child. I would like to see him try that with an eighth grader. They're bigger, stronger, and hit back if you put your hands on them inappropriately. I suggest she seek a legal remedy because the school system is going to cover their azzes.