AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora mom wants her child's school to make policy changes after her son was allegedly assaulted by another student.
"My child had been sent back to class. I had no idea what had happened," Valerie Tatum said. "He wasn't given an opportunity to call me."
Tatum said her son was assaulted by another student on Dec. 13 at Aurora Expeditionary Academy in Aurora. The mother alleged she didn't hear about the ordeal until hours later.
"I did not get a phone call from the school until 2:53 p.m., four minutes or five minutes before school let out for the day," Tatum said. "I asked why I wasn't informed, and I was told it was because they were trying to do their investigation to see who was at fault."
The mother said the incident started with bullying during recess when another student repeatedly pulled her son's hat off of his head.
"He picked it up, put it back on his head... told her a few choice words, but basically told her to leave him alone," she said.
During lunch hour, the mother says things escalated.
"He was sitting there eating lunch, and this other student came up from behind him — so he didn't even see it coming — and pulled him from the back of his hair and just started punching him," Tatum said.
She said when she picked her son up from AXL Academy, she rushed him to an urgent care. There, she said a doctor diagnosed him with a concussion, among other things.
"He currently has a pocket of fluid built up on the back of his head that we're keeping an eye on, that may or may not have to be drained, and multiple contusions," Tatum said.
The day after the alleged assault, Tatum said she went to AXL Academy and called police.
The Aurora Police Department confirmed they were called to the school. An officer conducted an investigation, and a 13-year-old girl was issued a summons for municipal charges of assault and battery.
Denver7 reached out to AXL Academy with a detailed list of Tatum's claims and concerns, and a spokesperson provided the following:
"Safety is of upmost importance. At this time, we are unable to comment due to an ongoing investigation."
Tatum said she had to speak out about the incident because she feels she was informed far too late.
"I'm a registered nurse, and head injuries... every minute can count with certain types of head injuries," she said. "I should've been notified immediately."
