A mother’s alarming claims about her 7-year-old son being hung in a school bathroom has gone viral online.
The incident, which occurred at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School on November 15, was initially described by the school as a case of “horseplaying.” The mother refutes this alleging that her son was the victim of bullying by a fourth-grade student.
Carrie Burke, the principal of C. Paul Barnhart Elementary, issued a statement on the day of the incident, claiming it occurred while two students were engaging in what the school termed “horseplaying” in a bathroom.
According to the statement, the jacket of one of the students became entangled on a hook attached to a bathroom stall door, leaving the child unable to free himself. The other student, reportedly unable to assist, left the restroom to seek help from school administrators.
The school commended the second child for quickly alerting staff, who called 911 to provide medical support “out of an abundance of caution.” The initial police report described the incident as a potential suicide attempt, but school officials quickly dismissed this, calling it a misunderstanding.
In her statement, Principal Burke apologized for delays in notifying parents and emphasized the swift actions of both the students who sought help and the administrators who intervened. However, the statement did not clarify whether any disciplinary actions would be taken against the students involved.
The day after the incident, the boy’s mother, deeply shaken, took to Instagram to share her account, which contrasted with the school’s narrative. Alongside a photo of her son lying in a hospital bed with a neck brace.
“I received the most traumatizing phone call from the school that my baby was being rushed to the 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 wrote.
She stated, “Everything about this is unacceptable. Nothing about this is ok. BULLYING is never ok. I’m feeling anger & seeing red, but my son is here by the grace of God, and I will forever be thankful. I have so many questions left unanswered.”
On November 17, she disclosed that she had identified the fourth-grade student involved but chose not to share his identity publicly due to his young age. She also revealed that the student is African-American after some questioned whether race played a role in the school’s handling of the incident.
“Since the incident, several parents have come forward to report that their own children were also bullied by this same fourth grader and that they had previously reported these concerns to the school multiple times. These parents are now willing to share their experiences publicly. I want to emphasize that my voice is not the only one speaking out, and there is a collective concern from multiple families,” she wrote.
“While it breaks my heart that my son had to endure this and serve as a painful example, I hope his experience will be a catalyst for change and learning, benefiting all students in the future,” she concluded.
The health status of the boy remains unclear.
