MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis mom said her son doesn’t want to go back to his Cordova elementary school after he was stabbed by another student with a pen Wednesday.

Mary Mull said her 8-year-old son was in the cafeteria when he was attacked by a 9-year-old student and stabbed in the face and hand.

A Riverwood Optional School student was stabbed with a Pen. Courtesy: Mary Mull

She said her son and the other boy were sitting at the same table. She said the other student began yelling at her son, her son said something back to him, and the 9-year-old got physical.

“The boy he got into an altercation with, he began bumping him and pushing him, and he pushed back, and that’s when the stabbing started,” said Mull. He got out the pen and stabbed him in the arm, and my son reacted, and he had him in a headlock, and he started stabbing my son’s face.

MPD said officers responded to a wounding at Riverwood Optional Elementary around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, but did not release details about what happened.

They said an 8-year-old boy was transported to Baptist East Pediatrics in non-critical condition, and a 9-year-old boy was issued a juvenile summons. 

Mull said when the school notified her, they told her it was a minor injury, but she said her son came close to being stabbed in the eye.

“The doctor said he was lucky that the injury wasn’t farther down and didn’t puncture his eye,” Mull said.

Riverwood student treated at the hospital after he was stabbed by another student with a pen. Courtesy: Mary Mull

Mull said her son had run-in with the same student in the cafeteria a couple of weeks ago. She said the other student cut in front of her son while he was in line and pushed him. She said her son reported it to an authority figure.

She said there didn’t appear to be any adults around when her son was stabbed.

“No adults came until after my son was bleeding after he was stabbed, and blood was around, and they heard the other children crying,” said Mull. “I feel like my son should have had better protection. How did a pen, an ink pen, get to the cafeteria?”

WREG contacted MSCS late in the day regarding the incident, but we have not received a response.

Mull said the other boy was suspended. She said her son is afraid and embarrassed about the wounds on his face.

“My son just wants to know why this happened to him. He just doesn’t feel like he was protected,” said Mull. “He doesn’t feel like he can talk to his teacher or anything like that.”

Mull believes the other student should be expelled and is urging the district to take more action against bullying in schools.

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