A Gardena mother and her supporters rallied outside her child’s elementary school Wednesday, claiming the school isn’t doing enough to protect kids after her son was allegedly stabbed with a pen by another student.
Ida Jordan said her 7-year-old son, Karter, is OK now, but he wishes he could return to his friends and teacher at Purche Avenue Elementary School in Gardena, where his mother said two other students cornered him in the restroom and one of them stabbed him in the neck with a pen.
The alleged attack happened Feb. 6. After being stabbed, Karter was sent to the office, where he stayed for three hours before being sent back to class and then being pulled back into the office, Jordan said.
“The fact that the school didn’t call me while he was here in the office for three hours was totally unethical and I really, really don’t appreciate that,” she said.
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She said no one called her and she only found out about it when she went to pick up Karter after school and other students ran up to her to tell her her son had been stabbed. Karter sustained a puncture wound to his neck, as well as a scratch, Jordan said.
Not only did administrators not tell her about the attack, but the two other boys were not disciplined, Jordan said.
“He had no idea he was going to get stabbed that day. And now he has to be removed from his school because the bullies are still here,” she said.
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It’s not the first time Karter was bullied at the school. Last year – also in the restroom – a fifth-grade boy choked him and another one punched his stomach, Joradn said. At the time, the school principal said the boys were “not going to be there anymore,” though she never learned whether they were actually disciplined.
The Los Angeles Unified School District released a statement from the principal, saying, “I want to reaffirm my commitment to the safety of all students at Purche Elementary. I will be working with stakeholders in the coming days and weeks to enforce the message of, if you see something say something.”
The principal added that the school teaches and reteaches proper behavior and provides consequences for violations.
Jordan said she wants to see more supervision of students in order to prevent other bullying incidents.
