HOUSTON — A Texas 11-year-old was airlifted to a hospital last week following a physical confrontation with a teacher over a juice box, the boy’s mother said.
Kiana Randolph told ABC13 in Houston that her son, Kamauri Williamson, required six stitches to close a large gash over his eyebrow. She told the news station that the injury resulted in his being airlifted to Texas Medical Center for treatment.
Randolph said she first learned of her son’s injury when she received a call from the Post Elementary School nurse, who told her that her son was hurt during lunch. When she arrived at the school, she found her son being airlifted from campus.
The distraught mother then learned Kamauri was hurt during an altercation over a juice box, during which a teacher accused him of stealing the drink.
Randolph said the teacher banged the boy’s head on a desk. Portions of the fight were caught on surveillance cameras.
“You see the teacher grab the hoodie and you see him, at one point, my son’s feet lift up off the ground,” Randolph told ABC13. “He’s basically being choked.”
Officials with the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District released a statement to the news station.
“A Post Elementary School student had a medical emergency last Wednesday that precipitated the need for emergency treatment,” the statement read. “The employee was placed on administrative leave, and the incident is currently under investigation.”
Randolph said she never thought something like this would happen to her son.
They’re supposed to be in a safe place while you’re at work, and to get this type of reaction of a head being busted open, especially over a juice box,” she said, frustrated. “Nobody deserves this, especially my son.”
A lawyer for the family told ABC13 he has trust in the justice system.
“I hope this guy is going to be prosecuted for doing something that he shouldn’t have,” attorney Adam Ramji said. “More so, I think that example is being made and other teachers need to be aware that if you’re around children, there’s a certain way to manage it and there’s definitely a certain way not to manage it.”
Randolph said the teacher needs to not work with children anymore.
“Just, not at all,” she said. “That was just very, very upsetting to watch as a mother. It’s very hurtful. No one’s child should be treated like that in any manner.”