A shocking incident at a school in Harris County, Texas, has left an 11-year-old injured and his mother speaking out in his defense. According to reports, fifth-grader Kamarui Williamson was forcibly removed from the cafeteria by an unnamed teacher at Post Elementary School before being dragged down the hallway and into a classroom — where his mother said his head was slammed against a desk.
The incident, which was partially captured by school surveillance footage, happened after the boy allegedly stole a juice box from the cafeteria.
But why things escalated to physical violence is something that will never make sense to his mother, Kiana Randolph, according to ABC7.
Watching the video is incredibly disturbing — for anyone, let alone the child's mother.
"You see him. At one point, my son's feet lift off the ground and my son is being choked," Randolph said. "That was very, very upsetting to watch as a mother."
In the footage, Kamarui is clearly dragged down a hallway by a much larger man, while being held in what looks like a choke hold.
What happened next was unfortunately not caught by cameras, because it took place in a classroom, but Randolph's lawyer, Chelsea Murfree, described it as brutal and uncalled for.
"This teacher violently picked him up by his sweater, ripping it in the process, and smashed his face onto the desk," Murfree recalled.
There's no disputing that physical violence took place in that classroom, either -- Kamarui suffered a serious gash on his forehead as a result.
In fact, the fifth-grader was airlifted by helicopter to the hospital, where he required six stitches to close the wound. Luckily, he's reportedly doing fine now.
But why such a seemingly minor incident led to such physical violence has left Randolph disturbed and concerned for her son's safety.
"She believes he's safe, and he's not safe," Murfree told ABC7. "He's being assaulted by someone who is supposed to protect and teach him."
As for the teacher, that person's name has not been released because no arrest has been made.
However, KTRK was made aware of the teacher's identity and visited the person's home Thursday — which was found empty and up for sale.
For now, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave, and the investigation is ongoing.
In the meantime, Randolph admits she is frustrated and believes her hands are tied.
According to Murfree, by law, she cannot sue the school district, and it is unclear if the teacher will be allowed to return to the classroom one day. For now, she hopes that by sharing her son's story and raising awareness, she can prevent that from happening.
