Nationwide — Fatiha King, an African American mother from Apollo Beach, Florida, is demanding answers after her 8-year-old son Bryson came home with a swollen abrasion on his neck. She rushed him to the ER and later learned another student may have been involved.
The injury happened Friday during recess. The school nurse left King a message saying it was an accident with a jump rope. At first, Bryson also claimed it was accidental. But King said she grew doubtful after seeing the severity of the wound.
“When I initially saw it, I’m like, ‘that’s not an accident,’” King told WFLA.
The swelling worsened, and the wound began to open. By Monday, Bryson admitted that another student had hurt him.
“My son is on the spectrum. He has sensory issues. So, I don’t know what was going on to where he was not comfortable telling me the truth,” she said.
King also sent messages to his teacher asking what had happened. The teacher responded that students had been playing with a jump rope and that Bryson had gone to the nurse afterward.
Hillsborough County Public Schools released a statement saying staff responded quickly. The district said supervision was in place, the child was taken to the nurse immediately, and his parent was notified. Officials noted that accidents can occur even under close supervision.
Still, King retained attorney William Franchi of Franchi Law. He questioned whether staff were paying close enough attention and argued that school policies may need to be revised. He stressed that schools must do more to keep children safe during recess.
Franchi confirmed his office is considering legal action against the district. He said their investigation aims to uncover what went wrong, push for accountability, and ensure steps are taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.