Photo: Screenshot from Sina Weibo

A 14-year-old schoolgirl from Southwest China's Sichuan Province was permanently disabled after physical punishment in which she had to do 150 squats at her school last June. Local authorities promised to deal with those responsible after the unsettled dispute between the parents and the school came into media spotlight recently. 

The junior high school student surnamed Ren (pseudonym) from Xianshi Vocational Senior High School in Hejiang county of Sichuan was punished by a student leader surnamed Mu after she was found violating dormitory administration regulations by bringing in snacks, according to media reports. 

A teacher surnamed Liu supervising the dormitory was present at the time but did not stop the incident, which led to permanent injury to Ren's left foot. 

According to Ren's mother surnamed Zhou, the incident happened around 10 pm on June 10, 2020 when Mu and Liu were inspecting Ren's dormitory to check whether anyone had brought in snacks without permission. 

Mu found a packet of snacks on Ren's bed and ordered her to do 300 squats as punishment. Ren denied that the snacks belonged to her and said that her foot had been injured in April 2020, but she was still forced to do 150 squats under the supervision of Mu and Liu. 

After the incident, Ren had medical treatment including surgery at several hospitals in Luzhou city and Chengdu, but she was diagnosed as having a lifetime mobility restriction. She has since had to walk on crutches. 

Apart from physical injuries, Ren has been diagnosed as suffering from depression after the incident. 

According to Xu Junke, a teacher at Xianshi school, there was no dispute between Ren and Mu before the incident. The two students were both 14 years old when it happened. 

Ren's parents and the school have not yet settled the dispute over compensation and follow-up treatments after one year's negotiation, although the school has covered Ren's medical treatment fees totaling 109,774 yuan ($17,003) so far. 

The dormitory supervising teacher surnamed Liu was fired on July 14. 

Li Linchun, director of Hejiang county Education and Sports Bureau, noted that the authorities have been following the incident and will deal with those responsible in accordance with laws and regulations, according to Red Star News. The student's parents are expected to appeal within the framework of the laws to strive for a settlement of the dispute to reduce the negative impact and harm to Ren.