POINCIANA, Fla. — An assistant principal at Lake Marion Creek Middle School is behind bars after deputies said she forced a 13-year-old student to massage her feet.

Dr. Keiva Lark, 53, has been charged with lewd/lascivious conduct and lewd offense against a student by an authority figure, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Through an investigation, deputies learned that the incident happened after the 13-year-old student was sent to Lark’s office for throwing balled-up paper across the classroom during a test.

“While in the office, according to two witnesses and the victim, Lark told the victim to rub her feet, since he didn’t have anything better to do with his hands,” deputies said. “She removed her shoes and placed her legs across the victim’s lap, and he did as he was told.”

The agency added that witnesses could hear Lark scolding the student for not rubbing her feet correctly, demonstrating how she would like to be massaged by rubbing the 13-year-old’s arm and shoulder. One witness reportedly heard Lark tell the student to rub her feet “like he loved her.”

“A witness also heard Lark tell the victim that she was doing this so he would know what foreplay is for when he gets a girlfriend,” deputies said.

During a forensic interview with the 13-year-old, he reportedly told investigators Lark would refer to him as “Sexy Chocolate” while passing him in the hallway at school. When deputies questioned Lark, she told them it was done as a joke in an effort to humble the student.

“It’s completely inappropriate for a 53-year-old woman to act and talk like this to a middle school boy,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated in the release. “It’s even worse given that this was an assistant principal and her student.”

Lark reportedly later admitted that her actions were “inappropriate for her profession,” but still denies saying anything inappropriate to the 13-year-old.

Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid released the following statement after Lark’s arrest:

“This is abhorrent behavior for anyone who works among students, especially an administrator. This person no longer has any business being around children. We commend the school principal for immediately reporting this incident, so we could take action and work with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to protect students.”