Boy, 4, allegedly beaten with wooden paddle for not spelling name correctly

HOUSTON -- A preschooler was beaten with a wooden paddle for not knowing how to spell his last name, police say, and now the boy's uncle is facing charges.

Richard Wayne Brewster, 38, is charged with injury to a child. Court documents state that in January, Brewster's four-year-old nephew was treated at Texas Children's Hospital for extensive bruising on his buttocks and lower back. The child told doctors he was paddled with a wooden board for not knowing how to spell his last name. His siblings, who reportedly witnessed the incident, confirmed his version of events. The paddle is described as a solid wood board roughly four inches wide, two inches thick and two feet long.

When police questioned Brewster, he initially blamed the child's injuries on ant bites, but then changed his story and reportedly confessed to paddling the little boy. Court documents state that Brewster told police he became upset because the boy wasn't spelling his last name correctly. He said he became agitated with the child and may have struck the boy more than five times. He also turned over the paddle to police.

Brewster's bail was set at $10,000.