Texas Mom Warns Parents After Son Falls Victim to Violent Slap Challenge at School
After her 7th-grade son fell victim to a violent slap challenge at school, a concerned Texas mother is warning parents of this dangerous new trend.
The challenge is called the "5-star slap challenge" and the goal is to slap someone so hard it leaves a clear handprint showing all five fingers on the victim. Minni Florence said this is exactly what happened to her special education student at La Vernia Junior High just outside San Antonio.
"This is not a game, this is assault!" Florence said in a post on Facebook on October 8. She says her son was sitting on a bench in the locker room putting on his shoes when another student came up behind him and slapped him as hard as he could. Florence says her son reported the incident to his coach but was simply told to go home and have a parent take a picture.
"He has bruising on his back from where the handprint was so I mean he was slapped really really hard," Florence said in an interview (seen below) with News4 San Antonio. "It knocked the wind out of him," she said.
"I immediately reported it to the school in person and was told that they would handle it," Florence said in her post on Facebook. La Vernia ISD has since issued a statement addressing the incident:
...On October 8th, [La Vernia] Junior High campus administrators were made aware of two additional “5 Star Slap Challenge” incidents that occurred just prior to dismissal that afternoon. Administrators immediately began investigating these incidents by meeting with the parents of students involved. Parents were assured that upon completion of the investigation, discipline would be administered to students involved in accordance with the District’s Student Code of Conduct. Due to privacy protection laws, detailed information regarding student discipline cannot be released...
Florence's goal now is to make sure parents know about what's happening at school and to talk to your children. "Parents be aware of this game and warn your children that if they participate in this there will be serious repercussions," Florence said.