A mother from Maryland is seeking answers after her 7-year-old son was found hanging from the bathroom door at his elementary school.
The mother posted a cropped photo of her son in a hospital bed along with a heartbreaking caption about the incident that took place at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary in Waldorf. Her post went viral on social media on Saturday, November 16. “My child who is a 2nd grader was hung in the boys bathroom by a 4th grader. 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 & found my baby foaming out the mouth & unconscious. 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 mother said on Instagram.
In a letter addressed to parents, officials from the Charles County Public Schools district characterized the incident as “horseplaying in a school bathroom when one student’s jacket got caught on a stall door hook.” They claim that a fellow student who was involved could not help the boy and reached out to administrators for assistance. However, the boy’s parents believe there is more to the story.
They opted to remain anonymous when discussing the incident with WUSA 9. They reported that their son has bruises around his neck from being choked and marks beneath his eyes. Hospital records reveal that he sustained a contusion on his neck due to blunt force trauma.
“He’s traumatized. It’s gonna take time. This is not something he’s going to just get over overnight,” his mother said. “My son did tell me that when they were in the bathroom, he said the little boy told him ‘I’m going to show you how I did people back in the day,’ that’s why I feel like it’s bullying. It’s [no] telling how many other kids this has happened to.”
