A 7-year-old boy was hospitalized with severe injuries after reportedly being hung by his neck in a school bathroom by bullies.
The incident occurred at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School in Waldorf, Charles County, Maryland. The boy, a second grader, was injured on Friday.
His parents are demanding answers from the school, expressing disbelief over the school’s explanation that the incident was merely the result of “horseplay.”
The school claimed in a statement that two students were “horseplaying” in the bathroom when one student’s jacket got caught on a stall door hook.
Principal Carrie Burke explained that the student could not free himself, and the other student involved left to get help from school staff, who then assisted the injured boy and called 911 as a precautionary measure.
The boy’s mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, disputed the school’s version of events. She stated, “If you look at his eyes, he has marks under them, and he still has bruises on his neck from being choked.” She added that her son is traumatized, saying, “It’s not something he’s just going to get over overnight.”
The medical report confirmed that the boy suffered a neck contusion, a type of injury caused by blunt trauma to the neck.
The boy’s parents believe their son was being bullied by an older student, reportedly a fourth grader.
They question how a jacket could accidentally get caught on a hook during play. “It doesn’t make sense,” the boy’s mother said. “If you’re horseplaying, how do you get caught on a hook? We need answers, and we won’t stop until we get them.” The parents have also decided their son will not return to the school.
On Sunday, two days after the incident, the school issued another statement denying online speculation that there was a cover-up of the incident. Despite this, the boy’s parents remain unsatisfied and are continuing to demand transparency and accountability.
In the statement from the school:
“The principal nor the school system are hiding anything,” the statement read. “Rather, we are sharing what information we can while we conduct a full investigation. The investigation is ongoing; speculation about what did or did not happen as well as the circulation of misinformation impedes the investigation process.
“Some comments online have alluded to threats toward staff. While the information circulating is alarming and involves heavy emotions, it does not warrant threats against staff or toward others involved.”
