LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Lafayette police are investigating an incident in which a substitute teacher at J. Wallace James Elementary School allegedly taped a student’s mouth shut to keep the child from talking.

Cpl. Paul Mouton tells The Advertiser (http://bit.ly/Qo0vA7 ) police received a formal complaint Wednesday. That complaint is active, and criminal charges are possible. Mouton said those charges could include either cruelty to a juvenile or simple battery.

Lafayette Parish School Superintendent Pat Cooper said the alleged incident, which occurred Sept. 12, involved a person who was a longtime substitute teacher with the district. Cooper says the student involved is 9 years old, and the alleged incident took place inside one of the classrooms.

Cooper says the substitute was immediately dismissed.

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Information from: The Advertiser, http://www.theadvertiser.com