WREG.com

Elementary School Fight Involves Kids, Parents

(Memphis) Two students at Georgia Avenue Elementary School got into a fight on Thursday, triggering another fight between their parents, after the parents were called to the school office.

Memphis City Schools confirms one of the students was transported to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital for precautionary purposes. The girl, in second grade, suffered a bump on her head and is expected to be fine.

News Channel 3 also observed the girl’s mother being escorted into a separate ambulance. Her husband said she was transported for a medical check-up.

Her husband told News Channel 3 she is four months pregnant. He was told she had been hit, and possibly punched in the stomach by the other party.

The student fight happened during the school day.

One third grader, Portria Tate, said that it started in the hallway.

“The little boy had pushed the little girl on the floor and bumped her head, and got the big knot on her head,” Tate said.

A school official said the students were brought under control, but when the parents came after school, they got in their own fight.

“It’s just ridiculous. I don’t understand. All I can do is try to pray for these people, because it’s really – it’s sad. It’s really sad,” said Betty Isom.

Isom is Tate’s grandmother, and she also went to Georgia Avenue as a child.

Isom said corporal punishment may be gone, but it’s still important to discipline your own child and not engage in conflict with the other child’s parents.

“I don’t understand how the parents get involved. It looked like they were supposed to be there to find out what’s going on, and try to solve the problem. Then they go in and fight. It doesn’t do nothing but make it worse.”

Tate’s mother, Tonya Harris, said, “A lot of the kids see what the parents do, too. And then see out here, what a lot of other people be doing. Then they take it back to school.”

Memphis police have not arrested anyone for this incident.

Georgia Avenue Elementary is one of three MCS schools scheduled to close at the end of the school year, due to low enrollment.