Boy says hula-hoop bully attack at Philadelphia school led to teeth injury

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia School District is investigating an alleged incident on a school playground that left an 8-year-old boy with serious injuries to his mouth.

Kareim McKellar says he was attacked by other students, but no one actually saw what happened.

"My whole mouth was bleeding," Kareim said.

Kareim's front teeth were somehow pushed into his head on the playground at Thomas M. Peirce School.

"We got a phone call Tuesday stating that he fell," Kareim's mother Colleen Peeples said.

But when she got to the school, her son told her a different story.

"He put a hula-hoop around me and started running so I fell and hit my mouth on the ground. When I hit my mouth, the boy came over and kicked me in my mouth," Kareim said.

And that's when Kareim says that student and two more jumped him.

"They started punching me all in my mouth," Kareim said.

"I'm giving these guys my child to take care of while I can't because he has to learn," Colleen said.

School District of Philadelphia spokesman Fernando Gallard says the incident concerns them.

"Clearly these are very serious injuries to this child," Gallard said.

This incident occurred more than a week ago and the school is still investigating.

There were four adults on the playground, but no one saw what happened.

So far they've only found one student who could corroborate Kareim's story that he was pulled down by a hula-hoop but that student didn't see an attack.

"There is an ongoing investigation of this incident. The principal and the school are looking at what actually occurred in the playground," Gallard said.

The school followed the district's protocol in handling Kareim's injury, a school staffer called his mother advising immediate dental care.

"Maybe tomorrow it's not my son and maybe it's someone else's child," Colleen said.

Kareim and his mother says he's had ongoing issues with this same student.

"The last time I had a black eye from the same kid," Kareim said.

The school district says there is no documentation of previous issues.

"I just want it to stop," Kareim said.

For now, it will.

Colleen has transferred her son to another school after this latest incident.

Kareim will now go through a more than a year-long process at Einstein Medical Center to attempt to get his teeth pulled back down in place.

If you think your child is the victim of school bullying, School District of Philadelphia policy says telling an adult at school should spur them to fill out a form documenting the issue on your behalf. The form is also available at the front office of every school and online for you to fill out yourself.

Online: Philadelphia School District Bullying, Harassment, and Intimidation Reporting and Investigation Form