Mother shares warning after autistic son hurt at Henrico school

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A mother in Henrico County is encouraging other parents to advocate for their kids after her son, who is on the autism spectrum, was hurt during an altercation at school.

The mother, who did not want to share her full identity, told 8News her son began the day at J.R. Tucker High School and ended the day in the hospital. She said she contacted the school about the incident and was told she would hear back from a representative.

“But I never received that email from anyone,” she said.

Days later, she received a call from school officials, who said her son was involved in an altercation. Now, she believes the incident could have been prevented if the school district had acted faster.

“It could have gotten worse, if not with my son, but with someone else,” said Marie.

She said her son, who has dealt with bullying at school in the past, was punched and left with injuries to his nose and head. 8News reached out to Henrico County Public Schools to learn what happened and what steps are being taken, a school district spokesperson shared the following statement:

“ We are aware of an incident that occurred on Sept. 9 at Tucker High School, which is being handled according to our Code of Student Conduct protocols. We are not able to provide information regarding specific incidents. “

A spokesperson from the Henrico County Division of Police told 8News the department is investigating the incident.

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