Has your child been choked by a classmate at school? Looking for advice on next steps after a choking incident at a charter school in Florida, USA. Curious about how to handle the situation effectively?
#ParentingAdvice #SchoolSafety #BullyingPrevention
– Seeking guidance on dealing with a choking incident involving your child at school?
– Wondering what to do when your child is targeted by a classmate?
– Need help navigating a situation of school violence towards your kid?
– Searching for strategies to address school bullying and violence effectively?
– Curious about the best course of action after a choking incident at your child’s school?
– Want to ensure you handle the situation appropriately and effectively?
– Interested in learning how to make an official complaint about a school incident?
– Looking for ways to advocate for your child’s safety in a school environment?
– Need advice on how to ensure your child’s well-being at school after an incident?
If you’re facing these questions or seeking guidance on similar topics related to school safety and student well-being, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore how to handle a choking incident involving your child at school and ensure a safe and supportive environment for your kid. Thank you for reading this far!
What exactly do you want to happen here?
Here’s a hint: schools hate when you get police and lawyers involved. They would much rather sweep it under the rug.
The first thing I would do is go to the Dr. Explain that your son was choked. Make sure to take photos of his neck. Make sure he is fully checked out even if he doesn’t want to. There could be damage done that you can’t see.
Then, I would go to some of the parents that would corroborate your story. Ask if they would be comfortable with their kids making a statement to the police. (This is just for a scenario where the school really isn’t doing anything about it)
Then I would have the meeting with the school. Bring a notepad and write down everything. Also, if you’re in a single party consent state, record the whole thing for your reference.
Make sure you have questions written down so you don’t forget. Questions like, why were we not notified of the situation in a way that conveyed the severity of the assault? Refer to it as such (an assault) as well. This may make the school uncomfortable, but the reality is that it was assault.
Please think of it this way, had this been two adults at a bar or at a football stadium, how would you want it handled? Lack of oxygen to the brain could cause serious damage.
Sue the kids parents. Bet it won’t happen again after that
Did a teacher witness or stop the choking? Would be good to have firsthand knowledge from an adult.
Do you like the charter school in general? I am disappointed with the school resource officer’s interaction with you concerning this matter. Also, why did your son have a silent lunch?
Your son was assaulted, call police and get a report also written statement from witnesses
I’d file a complaint at the police department against the SRO. That’s assault and he apparently treated you like a perp when you tried to see the VP.
Police report
Photos of any marks
Doctor visit
Your child was strangled, please call and make a report ASAP to the police. Yes elect to press charges as well.
Also have your child be seen by a doctor, being strangled can have lasting physical effects later on after the incident.
I had a similar incident where a child has been bullying and harassing my child for more than a year, with lip service from the school.
After the child hit her and I called the police(police went to the school as well and got everyone’s statements) they now have a plan to keep the kids away from each other, which is what I asked from the very beginning.
With the police, at the very minimum there is a paper trail.
Here are the key legal issues I see at play:
1. Assault and battery against your son by the other student. Choking is a violent physical act that could potentially rise to the level of criminal conduct, especially considering the ages of the children involved.
2. Negligent supervision by the school. Schools have a legal duty to provide a safe environment for students and to adequately supervise them. If this choking incident (or multiple incidents) happened without appropriate intervention by teachers or staff, that could constitute a breach of their duty of care.
3. Potential violation of school policies around violence, bullying, discipline, etc. Most schools have clear rules prohibiting physical violence among students and outlining disciplinary procedures. If these policies weren’t followed, that’s an issue.
You need to document everything now. Create a written timeline of events as you currently understand them, including dates, times, locations, parties involved, and any direct quotes you can recall. Include the names of the other parents/students who have corroborated your son’s account. This will be important for holding the school accountable and keeping your facts straight.
Definitely insist on a formal incident report from the school. There should be official documentation of what occurred, including witness statements from your son, the other student, any teachers or staff who saw what happened, and the other students who saw it. The school’s investigation should be thorough and transparent. Don’t let them brush this under the rug.
Get your son checked out by a doctor, both physically and psychologically. Choking can cause damage even if there aren’t visible marks. You’ll want to rule out any injuries, however minor. It’s also important to have your son assessed for any emotional distress or trauma he may have experienced from this incident.
Also consider filing a police report. While I understand the hesitation to escalate to this level, choking is a serious form of violence that could warrant law enforcement involvement, especially if the school continues to downplay it or fails to take appropriate corrective action against the other student.
On the school side, request a meeting with the school to discuss their disciplinary plans and your son’s safety going forward. How will they ensure this doesn’t happen again? What therapeutic resources can they provide? Will the other student be appropriately disciplined/supervised? You may want to request that your son be separated from the other student during lunch, recess, etc.
You’re for sure doing the right thing by advocating for your son and holding the school accountable. Don’t back down until you’re satisfied that they are taking this seriously and implementing real changes to keep your son and other students safe.
NAL, but a teacher and parent.
My son was choked by a kid at school when he was in 5th grade a few years ago. I was already in the process of interviewing elsewhere so I could relocate due to the constant bullying (long story, but my kid was not fully diagnosed at the time, he was in the evaluation process for ADHD due to impulsivity. He has also been diagnosed with high functioning autism).
My son was brought to me after he was choked at recess on a Wednesday morning in late April. The kid who choked him got a “miss recess for a few days and he can’t go on the field trip.” I questioned admin because my son had numerous suspensions due to yelling at an adult after being provoked by kids and he “wasn’t being heard”, and this kid basically got away with putting his hands on my kid.
I had a zoom interview scheduled for that afternoon and accepted that job. I relocated 450 miles away. I had called my mom and told her everything, and we decided it wouldn’t be worth it to file charges and have to drive back for court, my son was already traumatized enough. I did, however, take complaints to the school board about the disciplinary process throughout the district, as there were no consistent consequences for ANY kids. I had students stabbing each other with pencils (as in, lead stuck in their skin) and when I reported them to admin, they had to “write a report” for their consequence.
I have had him in therapy services for 3 years. He still has PTSD from it. He gets very anxious with any conflict, and the littlest things feel like they’re huge conflicts to him.
The kid that choked him? Last summer (at age 13), that kid and another kid set fire to their local high school, which completely destroyed the building. I wish I would’ve at least filed charges/had official police record of the event.
Too much for me to read, but put your kid in a BJJ class and he’ll be able to defend himself from chokes. Hell, he will even be able to neutralize the threat without injuring them.
Why were the kids alone in the classroom without a teacher present? I would ask that, and then state you’ll be seeking legal advice. Get legal advice.
Administration needs to be hung out to dry for not handling this. It needs to get blown up at the school board meeting. Write a letter to your local newspaper. They are not keeping these children safe if they are allowing this sweep get under the table.
Just be happy your son wasn’t suspended/hasn’t been removed from the charter school altogether. These kinds of incidents happen and always favour the attacker over the victim. It’s awful that it happened, and certainly have your son checked out but remind him next time to just keep his mouth shut when this kind of thing happens.