A Michigan woman says her 10-year old son was suspended from school and subsequently charged with aggravated assault for throwing a ball during a game of "tips" (akin to dodgeball) that hit and injured another classmate at recess.
The occurrence was in April at Eriksson Elementary School in Canton Township, Michigan. The 10-year old allegedly threw the ball at another boy that resulted in a concussion.
The injured boy's mother says he has a "medical condition that makes head injuries especially dangerous." The charged boy's mother said the child probably should not have been playing a physical contact sport.
The 10-year old was suspended from his elementary school following the incident and then was charged with aggravated assault.
The mother of the boy who was hit by the ball says that her son suffered "a black eye and had a bruise on his nose."
The school, meanwhile, said that the incident was "handled by the school district in accordance with the applicable district policies and the Student Code of Conduct." They added that that they were "unable" to comment on "how or when any criminal authority involvement occurred."
Ms. Lindley, the mother of the boy who was charged with assault, started a fundraiser to raise money for his attorney fees.
"My son is not a criminal. He was a little boy playing a game of dodgeball at school, a childhood activity that is as American as baseball and apple pie. If every child that played a game of dodgeball and threw a dodgeball at another kid was thrown in jail the vast majority of our country would be behind bars.