Authorities say a South Carolina mother is under investigation by the Department of Social Services after dressing her son in women's clothes and parading him around a Walmart store as punishment. The Herald reports that officers were called to the Rock Hill store Sunday evening and found the boy dressed in a tutu, women's boots, a women's undergarment, and a T-shirt. The word "bad" was reportedly written in marker on the back of his head, which was "shaved in an unusual manner, bald on top with a patch of wig on the front," per the report.
The mother told police she was punishing her son for fighting and making homophobic remarks. She also noted that her son had been having behavioral problems and that "corporal punishment has been ineffective, so she was attempting to embarrass" him instead. Officers told the woman her punishment wasn't acceptable and contacted a DSS case worker. The child's age isn't listed in the police report, the Herald notes. (More South Carolina stories.)