SAN ANTONIO — On October 18, Priscilla Ramirez was already driving to KIPP Aspire Academy to pick up another student. When she arrived, however, the mother was in for a shock.
Ramirez told us school staff asked her to go to the nurse's office for her 11-year-old son. When she arrived, she found a pencil lodged deep into her son's right buttock. She said she later found out the pencil was lodged 7 cm (2.75 inches) in her son's body. Her son's school told us "it was determined to be an accident."
Ramirez does not believe this was an accident. She described the experience on Tuesday, starting with the moment she walked into the nurse's office.
"I was like 'what happened?' but he couldn't talk because he was in pain," Ramirez said. "The nurse asked me if I could take it out. I was like, no, if he is in this kind of pain I would rather call an ambulance... it was real shocking."
Ramirez said the nursing staff didn't take the pencil out because of the pain it was causing her son. Eventually, an ambulance came to take her son to the hospital.
Hospital staff gave her son pain medication and removed the pencil 10 minutes later. She said the pencil had been 7 cm inside her son's body.
Ramirez said the school's principal texted her during the incident to ask if her son was ok and if there was anything she needed. She didn't respond at that time. Ramirez said she tried to talk to the principal the following Friday at an already-schedule parent-teacher meeting for the school. Ramirez said there were few details available.
"He said the kids that did it to him got 'consequences,'" Ramirez said. "We asked what the consequences were but they couldn't give us an answer."
KENS 5 reached out to KIPP Aspire Academy Friday and asked what had been done in response to this incident. The academy sent the following reply:
"KIPP Texas Public Schools prioritizes our students' and staff's health and safety. Earlier this week, an incident occurred between two students that resulted in a student injury. We immediately ensured the student was medically treated, and the school leadership team promptly launched an internal investigation. After a thorough review, it was determined to be an accident. Appropriate action was taken, and involved families were notified."
Ramirez read this reply for the first time on Tuesday. She wasn't happy with it.
"There is no justice. This was not an accident. This was 7 centimeters into...(my son). This was hard. This was ugly," Ramirez said.
Ramirez said her son told her his mechanical pencil had fallen from the desk and he got up to pick it up. She said, before her son sat down, he was suddenly in pain. Ramirez said he didn't know exactly what other child was responsible. She also said the school district would not give her the report for the incident.
KENS 5 asked KIPP Aspire Academy Tuesday morning if they would meet with the family about the incident and if they would send the family their report on the incident. The academy responded Tuesday afternoon.
"I have confirmation from the school that the School Leader and involved parent have been in contact. The mom did not ask for a copy of the incident report, but they are sending it over to her today," spokeswoman Jennifer Flores said via email.
Ramirez said her son needs to feel safe in his school and they may leave if this is not the case.
"If he tells me otherwise he will be removed from the school," Ramirez said.