KINGSLAND, Ga. — Morgaine Blanchard, 11, a Camden County Middle School student, says they were attacked by a female student in the bathroom Monday morning.
The child identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.
Blanchard went to the hospital Monday and requested a CT scan, which came back negative.
“I have a very sensitive spot right here, and she hit it right there very hard. I started to get very dizzy, and I felt like I was going to flop over, and then I blacked out for a few seconds,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard’s mother, Rowena Cason, who is currently out of town, says the school’s staff members have refused to use her child’s preferred pronouns.
“That was when we started to get the pushback from the administration. It was made very, very, clear that pronouns would not be used at any point correctly,” Cason said.
Haley Webb, who’s serving as the child’s caregiver, feels the district hasn’t done enough to make Blanchard feel safe at school.
Webb says it took more than an hour for Blanchard to be taken to the hospital after the incident.
“That is their job, to provide a safe space for education, and they are failing to do that,” Webb said.
Blanchard says they do not feel safe at the school.
“At school I am relentlessly bullied, it’s nonstop. It’s literally tormenting. The fact [is] that I can’t fight back. Because then, I’d get in a huge amount of trouble,” Blanchard said.
While Blanchard’s family and loved ones believe the child was targeted in Monday’s incident, Kingsland Police Chief Robert Jones says there’s no indication the child suspected of the attack was motivated by any bias.
“[Blanchard] was complaining of a headache and reported to the nurse that she had been slapped in the back of her head. At that time, no visible or physical injury was observed. The child indicated that her being struck was the result of a game, that other children play.
“At the request of the child’s parent, the child was transported for medical treatment at a local facility. Through interviews with witnesses at the school, the other child in the incident was identified. [This] child made statements that striking the other child had been part of a game and that she had apologized.
“A review of school surveillance revealed that the incident took place over a three-minute period, and the child who was struck can be seen walking unassisted to and from the restroom where the incident occurred. A Kingsland Police detective is currently assigned to the case as the investigation continues. Over the course of the investigation, there have been no indications that the incident was motivated by any bias,” Jones stated.
Jones’ complete statement can be found at the bottom of this article.
A report obtained by Action News Jax describes the incident as “simple battery.”
Action News Jax also reached out to the school district by email. The district replied with a statement:
“Camden County Schools is committed to meeting the diverse needs of our 9,000 students in a safe, equitable and nurturing learning environment,” said Phoebe Floyd, a Camden County Schools spokesperson. “We work daily to create an educational community where our students, employees and visitors feel welcome, valued and respected. Out of respect for student privacy, Camden County Schools does not publicly offer comment on any student-specific questions or concerns, and student privacy laws prevent us from disclosing or discussing student record information.”
Full statement from Kingsland Police Chief Robert Jones:
“On Feb. 1, 2021, a school resource officer with the Kingsland Police Department who was located at the Camden County Middle School made contact with a child in the school nurse’s office. The child was complaining of a headache and reported to the nurse that she had been slapped in the back of her head. At that time, no visible or physical injury was observed.
“The child indicated that her being struck was the result of a game that other children play. At the request of the child’s parent, the child was transported for medical treatment at a local facility. Through interviews with witnesses at the school, the other child in the incident was identified. [This] child made statements that striking the other child had been part of a game and that she had apologized. “A review of school surveillance revealed that the incident took place over a three-minute period, and the child who was struck can be seen walking unassisted to and from the restroom where the incident occurred. A Kingsland Police detective is currently assigned to the case as the investigation continues. Over the course of the investigation there have been no indications that the incident was motivated by any bias.
“The police department has reached out to the parents of the child, however, no call has been returned at this time. The Kingsland Police Department is working in conjunction with the Camden County Middle School administration for a resolution in the case. The police department considers the safety of schools to be a priority. All alleged acts of violence within the schools are investigated by school resource officers who receive specialized training in school-based investigations.”
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