Over the weekend, a mother’s story about her son being hanged in a Maryland school bathroom went viral. They attached a photo of a 7-year-old boy in the hospital and claimed a fourth-grader was responsible. However, in a statement two days before the mother’s post, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School blame the incident on “horseplaying”.
Maryland School Problem Statement Regarding Incident
Carrie Burke, the elementary school’s principal, released a statement about the Nov. 15 incident. The incident happened on the same day. Burke claimed that the students were “playing horses in the school bathroom” when the boy’s jacket “got caught on the door hook.”
“The student was unable to free himself and the other students involved were unable to help him,” the statement said. Additionally, the principal said another student left the bathroom and called an administrator for help. In addition to helping the trapped student, administrators called 911 “for additional preventative medical support.”
The school’s statement also acknowledged that initial police reports listed the incident as an attempted suicide. However, the district shut it down as inaccurate information. The letter also apologized for the delay in telling parents and guardians about the incident. It also gives credit to other students for asking for help and to administrators for being quick to think. It is unclear whether any children will face school punishment such as suspension.
Mom Paints Different Pictures of Bathroom Incidents
A day after the incident, the boy’s mother took to social media with an even more horrifying account of what happened. On Instagram, she shared a photo of her son sleeping in a hospital bed with his neck. In the caption, he said that “2nd graders were hanged in the bathroom by 4th graders.”
“I received the most traumatic call from the school my baby was taken to the children’s hospital in NW. The principal went into the bathroom & found my baby foaming at the mouth & passed out. I walked into the trauma room with 8-10 doctors surrounding my child. This was the most horrible & traumatic situation my family has ever experienced.
The mother also stated that the incident was the result of bullying, not horseplay, as the school claimed. “Everything about this is unacceptable. There is nothing about it. BULLYING is never ok. I feel angry & see red, but my son is here by the grace of God, and I will say thank you. I have many questions that not yet answered,” his mother wrote.
Mothers Provide More Details About Participating Fourth Graders
The health status of the injured child remains unclear. However, the Maryland mother returned to Instagram on November 17 with more details about the fourth grader involved in the school incident. He said he already knew the identity of the other boy but refused to reveal it because of his age.
The mother also confirmed that the fourth-grader is African-American. He further claimed that other parents shared incidents of bullying their children experienced with the same fourth grader.
“Since the incident, some parents have come forward to report that their own children were also bullied by the same fourth grader and had previously repeatedly reported the problem to the school. These parents are now willing to share their experiences publicly. I want to emphasize that my voice is not the only one speaking, and there is a collective concern of many families. Although it hurts my heart that my son has to suffer this and be a sick example, I hope that his experience will be a catalyst for change and learning, for the benefit of all students in the future.
See what the mom told local news outlet WJLA below.
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