A group of Texas middle school parents are up in arms over what they call a principal’s inappropriate comments to a group of Black male students.

It all started on Feb. 28 when Price T. Young Middle School principal David Segers used the intercom to call all of the school’s African-American students to the cafeteria to discuss their performance on the state’s standardized test.

According to parents, Segers blamed the students for the school’s test scores not being high enough.

“They were told that they were the reason that Price T. Young was not passing the TAKS test,” one parent, Demetria McFarland, told local station KTBS.

“To me it was knocking down their self -esteem. I don’t see the motivation behind calling out all African-American boys to be singled out.”

Segers has since received a verbal reprimand for his comments from the school superintendent. He has also apologized in a written statement and to students and faculty. In his apology, Segers said that he never meant to be hurtful with his speech, but though it was motivational ahead of upcoming testing.

Image: Marshall Independent School District