Boy Dies After Suffering Injuries At Charter School

Austin, TX -- A 7-year-old boy who was found injured, hanging from a hook in a bathroom at NYOS charter school, died at 2:33 p.m. Friday, Austin police confirmed.

KXAN Austin News on Wednesday reported the child may have suffered from a heart attack. Police said he was in cardiac arrest from a lack of oxygen from the hanging.

The Austin Police Department said the boy was found injured under "suspicious circumstances."

Police said the boy was found hanging by his shirt on a hook in the gym locker room bathroom with his pants down and underwear on. The incident happened at Magnolia McCullough Elementary, one of three NYOS campuses in Austin.

APD on Thursday said from the position the child was in, it was not impossible that he got that way by himself. Officers, however, could not confirm how he ended up hanging on a hook.

"The height of the hook was such that he could have placed himself there," said police Lt. Mark Spangler.

Investigators learned that the boy received permission from a teacher to leave the assembly and go to the restroom. Later a different teacher found the child.

APD has ruled out sexual assault and a bullying incident. Police noted that the boy wore loose pants, which may have fallen down on their own.

"We have concerns," said Jeff Hampton with the APD Child Abuse Unit, "not just as far as the criminal investigation, but also concerns with how the school operates, which is not under our domain to dictate what should or should not be done, but the schools should be a safe environment for our children."

Police said they are concerned about this incident, because it happened in school, where several staff and students were around. Officials said 288 students attend the school.

Officers have interviewed a student who saw the incident and said they believe this is more than just a medical issue. The department is asking for the public's help with witnesses or additional information.

Magnolia McCullough Elementary, a Not Your Ordinary School charter school, is located at 1605 Kramer Lane, southwest of Braker Lane and Lamar Boulevard.

The NYOS schools are highly rated in the state's accountability system, earning top marks for student scores.

Charter School Launches Internal Investigation In Boy's Death
NYOS has launched an internal investigation to determine what actions need to be taken after the death of a 7-year-old who was found hanging on a hook in the gymnasium locker room Wednesday.

The school will focus on three areas: to access the facts behind the incident; what type of disciplinary action, if any, will be taken; and determine what additional safeguards need to be put into place at the school.

The school's governing council met for two hours Friday, one hour behind closed doors.

Sara Leon was appointed attorney to oversee the investigation and make recommendations on what action should be taken. Leon will have until the Feb. 19 to make her decision, which will be presented at the next board meeting.

"APD will do their criminal investigation, but they're not going to go through our policies, they're not going to go through our building, and I think it's appropriate for us to ask these questions of ourselves," said board chairwoman Susana Hildebrand.

The school said the investigation will be separate from the police department's, and it will assist APD with whatever is needed.

The school has removed all hooks in the locker room areas of the boys' and girls' restrooms. It will also address the designs of the restrooms, including the removal of doors.

Austin police will maintain a presence on campus until its investigation is complete. APD will also conduct a security audit of the campus next week.

Child Protective Services has also begun an investigation into the young boy's death.

Parents Upset After Incident
Parents said they are feeling a range of emotions, including shock, sadness and anger.

Some parents are angry over the way administrators handled the incident but others said they are supportive of the school and its response. They are united in their concern for the 7-year-old boy. Counselors were on campus Thursday to help students, parents, and teachers.

An assembly was held for parents Thursday morning at the school.

The crowd prayed for the child, and parents were told their children did not have to attend school Thursday.

Attendees were not given the details of how the child was discovered hanging from a hook in a bathroom. Some parents said they did not know those details until KXAN Austin News shared them.

"I feel awful about it," parent Renee Williams said. "I feel awful about it, because somebody should have been watching."

"I am very sad for his parents, I am very concerned about the child and his health," said parent Amy Jones. "I also know that accidents happen at every school, and bad things can happen to any of us at any time."

The NYOS governing council called an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon. They ordered an internal investigation of the incident and asked Austin police to review the school's security procedures.

NYOS issued this statement on its Web site: "The safety of our students is our first priority. As information regarding this incident comes to light, we will determine what, if any, campus safety issues need to be addressed."

Classes resumed Friday as normal.

Source-http://www.kxan.com