Berkeley Boy Contracts Whooping Cough After Cleaning School Bathroom as Punishment, Mother Claims

A mother claims her 11-year-old son contracted whooping cough after he had to clean school bathrooms as punishment for taking part in an alleged playground bullying incident.

Berkeley Unified School District officials are investigating the case reported at LeConte Elementary. School logs show the student cleaned bathrooms for six days.

"His health was compromised," said Magdalene King'ori, the student's mother. "He should not have been put in that situation without us being told."

King'ori said her son, fifth-grader Ishmael Perry, was no more than a bystander during the alleged playground bullying reported April 30.

Some parents said the family is blowing the incident out of proportion and point out the student could have chosen other clean-up duties.

King'ori, however, said cleaning bathrooms should have never been an option.

A letter sent to King'ori from the district states, in light of her complaint, school "staff have been directed not to have students clean bathrooms under any circumstances."

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