Over the weekend, a mother’s claims about her son being hung in a Maryland school bathroom went viral. She attached photos of her 7-year-old in the hospital and claimed a fourth grader was responsible. However, in a statement two days before the mom’s post, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School blamed the incident on “horseplaying.”
Maryland School Issues Statement About Incident
Carrie Burke, the principal of the elementary school, issued a statement about what happened on Nov. 15. The incident had occurred that same day. Burke claimed that the students were “horseplaying in a school bathroom” when one child’s jacket “got caught on a stall door hook.”
“The student was not able to free themselves and the other student involved was also not able to help them,” the statement said. Additionally, the principal claims the other student left the bathroom and sought help from administrators. In addition to helping the trapped student, administrators called 911 “for additional precautionary medical support.”
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The school’s statement also acknowledged that an initial police report listed the incident as a possible suicide attempt. However, the district has shut that down as inaccurate information. The letter also apologized for the delay in communicating the incident to parents and guardians. It also credits the other students for seeking help and the administrators for their quick thinking. It’s unclear if any of the kids involved will be subjected to school punishments such as a suspension.
Mother Paints Different Picture Of Bathroom Incident
A day after the incident, the boy’s mother took to social media with a scarier account of what allegedly happened. On Instagram, she shared a photo of her son lying in a hospital bed with a neck brace on. In the caption, she alleged that her “2nd grader was hung in the bathroom by a 4th grader.”
“I received the most traumatizing phone call from the school that my baby was being rushed to the children’s hospital in NW. The principal went into the bathroom & found my baby foaming out the mouth & unconscious. I walked into the trauma room with 8-10 doctors surrounding my son. This is the most heartbreaking & traumatizing situation my family has ever been in.”
The mother also implied that the incident was a result of bullying, not horseplaying, as the school’s statement claimed. “Everything about this is unacceptable. Nothing about this is ok. BULLYING is never ok. I’m feeling anger & seeing red, but my son is here by the grace of God, and I will forever be thankful. I have so many questions left unanswered,” the mother wrote.
Mom Reveals More Details About Fourth Grader Involved
The status of the injured boy’s health remains unclear. However, the Maryland mother returned to Instagram on Nov. 17 with more details about the fourth grader involved in the school incident. She said she’d learned the other boy’s identity but refused to disclose it because of his age.
The mother also confirmed the fourth grader is African-American. She further claimed that other parents shared past bullying incidents their kids have had with the same fourth grader.
“Since the incident, several parents have come forward to report that their own children were also bullied by this same fourth grader and that they had previously reported these concerns to the school multiple times. These parents are now willing to share their experiences publicly. I want to emphasize that my voice is not the only one speaking out, and there is a collective concern from multiple families. While it breaks my heart that my son had to endure this and serve as a painful example, I hope his experience will be a catalyst for change and learning, benefiting all students in the future.”
See what the mother said to local news outlet WJLA below.
