This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
A female student stabbed a male classmate with scissors Friday morning in an 8th-grade class at William Dick Elementary School in North Philadelphia, officials said.
School District spokesman Lee Whack said the incident happened around 11 a.m. in science class. The two students were having an argument that the teacher attempted to de-escalate, but then the female student used a pair of scissors to stab the male student in the abdomen.
Whack said the student was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital and “it looks like a full recovery.” The boy was listed in stable condition.
Police were called, and the girl was taken into custody. Police public affairs said that an arrest was made and the weapon recovered.
She will be appropriately disciplined, Whack said.
“This is an unacceptable reaction,” he said.
The scissors used were not the blunt type often used in schools for art and other projects. Those are often too small for older children to use, Whack said. “Sometimes teachers buy or bring in other scissors,” he said.
“We took all the steps we take in these types of situations,” Whack said.
The school’s families will each receive a robocall about the incident and a letter from the principal.
William Dick is a K-8 school with 529 students that is located at 25th and Diamond Streets.