Non-binary 11-year-old left with suspected concussion after they were assaulted by classmate in school toilets
Morgaine Blanchard was taken to hospital and had a “suspected concussion” after the attack at school. (News4Jax)
A non-binary 11-year-old child was taken to hospital with a suspected concussion after they were assaulted by a classmate at a school where teachers refuse to use their correct pronouns.
Morgaine Blanchard, who is non-binary, attends Camden County Middle School in Georgia and spoke to News4Jax with their mother, Rowena Cason, about the attack.
The 11-year-old said: “It was a bathroom break. I just got finished washing my hands.
“I turned my back to the trash can to put the trash into the trash can, this girl came up and whacked me in the back of the head.”
They went to the school nurse, complaining of nausea, dizziness and vision problems, but Cason claimed the school waited an hour before calling for medical help.
Cason was not able to get to the hospital, so asked a family friend, Haley Webb, to meet Blanchard there. When they arrived, they discovered the child had a “suspected concussion” as well as “a lot of swelling on the back of their skull”.
Webb said she tried to contact police about the incident, but the authorities “refused” to come to the hospital, and told her that “the resource officer at the school was taking care of it”.
The non-binary child’s mother said bullying had “escalated” but teachers didn’t do “anything about it”.
Rowena Cason told the news channel that staff did not “care enough” to use Morgaine Blanchard’s correct pronouns, and had expressed that to her child.
She added: “It’s been made very clear as the verbal bullying has escalated that the teachers were not going to do anything about it.”
After the attack, Blanchard said they do not feel safe to return to school in person. Cason said she has not been told whether the school has taken any action against the student responsible for the attack, and said she is still working with authorities to file a police report.
Camden County Middle School said in a statement: “Out of respect for student privacy, Camden County Schools does not publicly offer comment on any student-specific questions or concerns.
“Camden County Schools is committed to meeting the diverse needs of our 9,000 students in a safe, equitable, and nurturing learning environment.
“We work daily to create an educational community where our students, employees, and visitors feel welcome, valued, and respected.”
