AMARILLO, Texas — A West Texas school district has put five teachers on paid leave after learning they were overheard at a restaurant speaking derisively of a student with learning disabilities.

Amarillo school district spokeswoman Holly Shelton told the Amarillo Globe-News that the employees were put on leave pending an investigation.

She says the school has "clear expectations of professionalism from our staff."

The moves come after a person posted on Facebook earlier this month a photo of the teachers sitting at a table.

The person says the teachers could be heard joking about the boy and others with disabilities.

At one point the group allegedly joked that if the student went on a killing spree years later, then they would likely be blamed for not doing a better job educating him.