It whacked me really hard when I first heard about this incident because it is just so close to home. The 13-year-old from Bogalusa, Louisiana, hurt himself on a church trip from Tylertown, but no one is set to explain precisely what happened. Apparently, he is also the only African American boy on that church bus, which adds to the awkwardness of this whole situation.
His mother, Alicia Battie, shared on Facebook that her boy came home injured after going to a church related event. The family, so far, has little idea of how he injured himself or who was involved. Alone in itself isn’t terrifying, especially when trusting a church or community group to ensure the kids’ safety.
Before all this, the boy had another problem to deal with. He had to stop playing basketball at 13, by school rule. He had to go to BCS to play ball. The family did not move schools. Instead, they kept him active and fueled on the positive things in life such as church and community activities. Sadly, that decision culminated in something no parent expects to happen.
The accident happened during the trip to Tylertown. According to Alicia, she received half-baked information and confusing answers when she inquired about what went wrong. From what she shared, it sounded like people wanted them to take their son home and shut up.
What made it worse was the threat she said she was given. According to her, she was threatened that if she asked too many questions or spoke out about what had been happening, she or her son might go to jail if the other side reacted badly. She said the authorities reminded her that kids as young as 13 can go to jail. That sounds just so wrong about a child.
She was also worried about what was happening at the church and at the Bogalusa Police Department. Even after asking repeatedly, no one was clear on how her son hurt himself. She mentioned that even the church pastor couldn’t explain it, as he wasn’t present when it happened.
Being a parent, even I could understand her fear. If my child came home injured, and nobody could say what happened, I wouldn’t sleep properly either. Alicia said that all she could think about was her son’s health and safety. His injuries were severe enough to require a hospital visit. She said that she was ready for whatever noise or backlash came her way if it meant protecting her child.
She is also planning to meet with Sheriff Smith to get honest answers finally. She would like to know what actually happened and what procedures should have been in place so that her son remained safe during that trip.
This post went viral, prompting a lot of responses from the community in shock and fury. Some asked right out if somebody from the church hurt him. Others mentioned that there might be video evidence, since kids these days record practically everything they do.
Only a few comments specifically focused on the boy’s condition, asking about how he is doing and offering help. Some people insisted on taking the legal route and told the family to file their own police report. One commenter explained that sometimes small-town police do not want the hassle or extra paperwork of dealing with cases involving children. They also mentioned that it could be considered hazing if the boy was hurt or bullied.
Other people just offered to be there and told the mother to contact them when in need.
For now, there is still no word from the church or local police regarding the allegations. Everything feels quiet when it really shouldn’t be.
In my experience, it always gets worse. In such situations, when a child is hurt under the care of an adult, clear answers are not optional. It will be right for Alicia Battie to keep pushing because vague replies are not just enough when a child’s safety is at stake. You may also be interested in: Starmount Academy of Excellence Bullying Case Where My Young Daughters Were Hurt and Ignored
