Nationwide — Markeita Brown, the mother of Malachi, a 12-year-old African American boy from Chicago, is blaming Chicago Public Schools for how it responded after her son was allegedly assaulted by a teacher inside his classroom. She is calling for accountability as the case moves forward.
Alayne Pierce-Collins, a teacher at Pershing Magnet School on Chicago’s South Side, faces felony charges tied to the incident. Court records show she is charged with aggravated battery of a child, causing great bodily harm, and aggravated battery by strangulation, causing great bodily harm.
The alleged attack happened on December 12, 2025, at about 10:40 a.m. Brown says she was not informed immediately and only learned about the situation nearly four hours later. She also says school staff initially described it as a student altercation before later confirming a teacher was involved, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
Brown says the delay and changing details from Chicago Public Schools left her frustrated. She also claims her son tried to report what was happening to school staff but was instead attacked during the incident.
When Brown picked up her son, she says she saw visible injuries, including bruising near his eye, facial scratches, swelling, and marks on his arm. She says he had gone to school that morning in good health.
Brown questioned the teacher’s role in education after the incident and expressed strong concern over student safety. “I feel she should not be teaching at no elementary school or she shouldn’t be working with kids, period,” Brown said. “Your number one rule as a teacher, you are there to protect our kids.”
Chicago Public Schools said it opened an investigation through its Office of Student Protections and Title IX. The district said the staff member was removed from the school while the case is reviewed, and confirmed that the family was notified and given access to support services.