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MCALLEN -- Claudia Cortez Martinez shed tears as she remembered what happened to her son at Alvarez Elementary School in McAllen.

"They handcuffed him as if he was an adult, but he was only 6 years old," said Martinez in Spanish.

She said her son climbed underneath his teacher's desk at Alvarez Elementary School in McAllen back in May 2009.

Fed up, Martinez said the teacher allegedly took matters into her own hands.

"My son said she grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to a couch and said she was sick and tired of his behavior," said Martinez.

According to Martinez, the teacher called security and security handcuffed her 6-year-old son and left him face down for several hours.

"I feel humiliated because there was nothing I could do for my son," she said. "Until now, there was nothing I could do."

Now, she's demanding justice.

She has hired attorney Robert Puente and filed a lawsuit that landed in federal court last week.

The McAllen mother is seeking damages for medical expenses and the physical pain her son endured.

"Our teachers, our administrators have tough jobs, but that doesn't justify putting a child handcuffed face down on his face," Puente told Action 4 News.

Martinez also wants payment for the mental anguish that the situation caused her and most of all her son.

She said the experience will traumatize him for life.

"He'll never forget this. Neither will I, but those who did this will be fine and happy," said Martinez. "But what about us?"

Martinez said she just wants justice and doesn't think the school should get away with what they did to her son.

Action 4 News spoke with attorneys representing the McAllen Independent School District in the lawsuit.

They are not commenting about the details of the case but they did say that there are two sides to every story.