Parents consider legal action after son stabbed at school with pencil

A Pointe-aux-Trembles family is considering legal action against their son's elementary school after he was stabbed in the eye with a pencil.

The parents say they had been complaining to the school for months about their son, 10-year-old Alexandro Baiamonte, being bullied.

At lunch time on April 22, Alexandro suffered a potentially life-changing injury.

“He came at me with two pencils in his hands. He said, ‘Come fight me’ and then I’m trying to fight him. He gives one pencil to his brother,” the boy said.

The incident occurred on the sidewalk just off the property of his school, École François-La-Bernarde.

Alexandro managed to get the pencil away from his attacker's brother but that wasn’t the end of it.

“I turn around and then he gave me the pencil in the eyes,” said Alexandro.

In pain and his vision blurry, Alexandro walked home with the help of another student.

His mother Filomena Follano took him back to the school to find out what had happened.

“The school didn't bother to call an ambulance didn't bother with anything. They just said, 'You could just go to the CLSC and check it out,’” said his father, Daniele Baiamonte.

Instead, the family went to the hospital where Alexandro underwent surgery.

“He had lead, like two to three millimeters, reaching all the way to the retina,” explained his father.

Doctors had to stitch the sclera, the white part of his right eye.

The retina wasn't touched, but it will take a few months before the Baiamontes know whether there's permanent vision loss. For now, the boy is wearing a plastic eyepatch.

The school board confirmed the attacker has been suspended from school but refused all other comment.

The Baiamontes are now considering legal action against École François-La-Bernarde.

“There was nothing done from the school,” said Daniele Baiamonte.

The family says Alexandro was being bullied for months and despite complaints and meetings at the school, the bullying continued.

“The school didn't take any measures to put teachers in the school yard,” said the boy’s father.

The two boys had even fought just a few days before Alexandro was injured.

While legal action is pending, the Baiamontes know one thing for certain – their son will not be returning to the same school next September.