Nationwide — A 7-year-old African American boy from Waldorf, Maryland, was found unconscious in a school bathroom after an alleged bullying incident involving a 4th grader. The 2nd grader, discovered ‘hanged’, survived but is left traumatized, sparking outrage from his family and calls for accountability from the school.The incident happened on November 15 at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School. The boy’s mother shared that her son, a second grader, was discovered by the principal “foaming out the mouth & unconscious.”
“I received the most traumatizing phone call from the school stating that my child was being rushed to children’s hospital in NW,” the boy’s mother shared on Instagram. “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 boy’s parents, who wish to remain anonymous, shared that their son had bruises on his neck and marks under his eyes. His mother told WUSA News 9, “He’s traumatized. It’s going to take time. This is not something he’s going to just get over overnight.”
The school principal, Carrie Burke, explained in a letter to parents that two students were playing in the bathroom when one of them got their jacket caught on a hook. She described it as “horseplaying” and said that one student couldn’t free the other, so they went to get help, and staff called 911 as a precaution.
However, the boy’s family is not convinced by the school’s explanation. The mother said, “It doesn’t make sense to me. If you’re horse-playing, how do you get caught on a hook? Like we need answers, I want answers, and we won’t stop till we get answers.”
School officials said they found no evidence of racial motivation or intentional harm, but disciplinary actions will follow the district’s code of conduct. The district also mentioned that additional police resources have been brought in due to online threats and concerns from the community.
Currently, the students involved are not at the school. The boy’s mother confirmed that her son, still recovering, will not return to Barnhart Elementary. The district plans to meet with the community to update families on the investigation.