(04/06/06) NEWARK ? A Newark fifth-grader claims he was locked in a pen and mocked by his principal as punishment for rowdy behavior.

Wesley Drew says the incident occurred at Harriet Tubman School on March 31. According to Drew, the principal placed him and another student in a pen next to the playground. The student also claims the principal brought other students over to the pen and said, ?this is how an animal gets treated so I hope you don?t all act like one.?

School Superintendent Marian Bolden has a very different version of the story. She claims the principal was escorting Drew back to class, became sidetracked and asked a guard to watch the student for a few minutes inside the fence. Drew?s family members say they?re angry over the incident and want an explanation. They have retained a lawyer for a possible lawsuit against the district.