FBISD mom questions district discipline after she says son was targeted by student with gun

MISSION BEND, Texas (KTRK) -- A mom said her son won't be at school on Monday because she doesn't believe he'll be safe. The fifth grader attends Mission West Elementary School, where another student brought a gun to campus inside his backpack on Tuesday.

The mother asked ABC13 not to identify her due to safety concerns, but she said she left work Thursday and immediately drove to the school after a call that came directly from the principal.

"He said, 'The gun was for your son.' I was like, 'What do you mean it was for my son?' He was like, 'The child said it was to scare your son,'" she recalled.

That threat from a fourth-grade Mission West Elementary student never materialized, thanks to someone who reported the child had a gun in his backpack. Fort Bend Independent School District said the student was removed from class and searched.

The gun was confiscated, and charges have been filed against the adult who allowed the child access to the weapon. "Look at the world we live in today. How could you be so irresponsible?" the mother asked.

It's unclear what the unidentified adult's relationship is with the child, but the mother said she questions them and the district. She said it's not clear what they're doing to keep her son safe at school. "I'm nervous. I'm shaking. All I can think about is like this phone call could have been like my son, or any other child, is at the hospital, dead, hurt, or whatever," she said.

She said she was also worried the student would be allowed back on campus on Monday.

ABC13 took her concerns to FBISD. They said in a statement:

"We cannot comment on disciplinary actions assigned to any individual student due to privacy laws, and we must follow laws related to the age of the child. We can say that the safety and health of each and every student in the district is always at the top of our priorities."

The FBISD Code of Conduct does require mandatory expulsion if a student is caught with a gun on campus, but only after a hearing. Before that happens, a student may be held in in- or out-of-school suspension, another appropriate classroom, or an alternative school. However, if the student is younger than 10, they'll be sent to an alternative school instead of expelled. If they're under six, they will only be sent to an alternative school if a federal offense is committed.

It's a policy the mom said puts the entire campus in danger.

"Y'all have failed these children tremendously, and I feel like nobody is caring. What is it (going to) take for you guys to open up your eyes, Fort Bend? What is it (going to) take?" she asked.

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