Mother of child found hanging in school bathrooms says bullying–not race– led to attack

By Aria Brent
Afro
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
https://afro.com/

The mother of the Maryland elementary school student found hanging in a Charles County school bathroom now says the attack was not racially motivated, but instead the result of bullying.

On Nov.15, a second grader at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School in Waldorf, Md., was injured in a disturbing incident in the school’s bathroom.

“I received the most traumatizing phone call from the school stating that my child was being rushed to children’s hospital in NW. The principal went into the bathroom and found my baby foaming out of the mouth and unconscious,” said the mother, in an IG post that now has more than 400,000 shares. “I walked into the trauma room with 8-10 doctors surrounding my son. This is the most heartbreaking and traumatizing situation my family has ever been in….Everything about this is unacceptable, nothing about this is ok BULLYING is never ok.”

According to school officials, the younger student’s jacket got caught on a stall door hook during the interaction, leaving him unable to free himself. The other student sought help, and staff called 911 for medical assistance.

As reports of this disturbing incident began to make headlines many wondered if the attack was race based and the mother of the child has stated that it wasn’t via an Instagram post made on Nov.17. 

“I have learned the identity of the child involved, but out of respect for his status as a minor, I will not be disclosing his name. What I can share is that he is African American.”

The mother, who does not use her real name on social media, did not respond to multiple AFRO requests for comment.  In her post, she said that her family wasn’t the only one impacted by the behavior of the fourth grader in question.

“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,” she wrote. “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.”

Although race is not a considerable factor for how or why the unfortunate interaction took place, the child’s parents are disputing the characterization of the incident as “horseplay.” 

The child reportedly sustained a neck contusion and other injuries.

Both the elementary school and the school’s district have released statements about the incident. 

“I understand that the initial 911 report resulted in a first responder call that shared a possible suicide attempt occurred at our school. This was then posted on social media by a community member, causing a bit of community concern,” wrote Carrie Burke, the school principal. “Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) quickly shared an update with you as well

as the Barnhart staff to dispel any inaccurate information beginning to circulate. I apologize for the delay in that update, but our administrative team was addressing the needs of our students.”

Additionally, the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) superintendent, Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D, also released a statement addressing the situation and assuring the CCPS that this matter isn’t being taken lightly. 

“I am aware of the heartache and anger the recent incident at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School has caused our community and I appreciate the continued support, understanding and patience as Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) and Barnhart administrators work to fully investigate the incident,” the statement read. “CCPS continues to support the families of the students involved. The students are not presently at school. We have been working privately with the families to provide academic and continuous social-emotional support and resources. We also provided additional support for students and staff today at Barnhart and will continue to do so as requested by the school.”

The statement went on to further explain that a full investigation is being done by the school district and discipline is being implemented. 

“As of today, we have gathered additional statements from staff and students and completed a thorough review of school camera footage. Based on our investigation so far, we have no reason to believe this was race-related or there was any intent for anyone to be hurt. However, disciplinary consequences following the CCPS Code of Student Conduct are being imposed due to the serious nature of this incident.” 

The AFRO contacted the Charles County Sheriff’s Office for commentary about the investigation, however no response was received. 

While the school administration emphasized that the situation was addressed promptly and emergency protocols were followed, the family remains dissatisfied with the explanations provided. The boy’s parents have called for further investigation, questioning how such an incident could occur under the guise of “horseplay.” 

The case has sparked widespread concern and debate about student safety, bullying and transparency in schools. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and the family continues to seek clarity and justice for their son.