12 Year-Old’s Hair Set On Fire

ATTALA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)-A 12 year-old Attala County girl is recovering after having her hair set on fire.

According to reports the Attala County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to Long Creek Elementary Tuesday where a student’s hair was reportedly set on fire.

Attala County Schools Superintendent Bryan Weaver says two male students are responsible.

Weaver says one of the boys brought the lighter to school and the other used it to set the girl’s hair on fire in the hallway.

A teacher was able to extinguish the fire, and the girl was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Weaver says the school has surveillance video of the incident showing the act wasn’t an ‘accident.’

The two students could be expelled for the incident.

The Attala County Sheriff’s Department has now turned the case over to youth court.

The school board met Thursday night to discuss student discipline in an executive session.

Official Statement: Hair burning incident at Long Creek Elementary on January 7.

The Attala County School District strives to provide a safe and nurturing environment for all students across the school district. The Attala County School District strives to be proactive to protect our students from all dangers; both outside our school doors and inside. In dealing with internal discipline problems, schools cannot make plans for every single possible student behavior. Understanding this, student discipline becomes reactive to the incidents as they occur.
The incident that occurred on January 7 at Long Creek Elementary, in which a student’s hair was set on fire, was appalling and un-excusable. This behavior is in no way a reflection of the students, schools, and communities that are represented by the Attala County School District. All appropriate actions are being pursued to ensure, to the best of the District’s abilities, an event such as this does not occur again.

Bryan Weaver
Superintendent