# A hair pick, a punctured lung, and a father's questions

> A Nashville father says the school called it superficial, then he waited two hours to learn his son's lung was punctured.
- Title: A hair pick, a punctured lung, and a father's questions
- Summary: A Nashville father says the school called it superficial, then he waited two hours to learn his son's lung was punctured. When a school downplays an injury…
- Keywords: school safety, nashville, parenting, student injury, social media, news, local, hair, pick, punctured, lung, father's
- Source: Valleynewslive — https://valleynewslive.com/2026/09/11/father-speaks-out-after-sons-lung-punctured-by-hair-pick-high-school
- Published: 2026-09-11T09:25:13.811+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: school safety, nashville, parenting, student injury, social media, news, local
## A hair pick in his side
A Whites Creek High School student was hurt Tuesday when a hair pick lodged in his side. His father says it went deep enough to puncture the boy's lung.

> It stuck him in his side. It actually punctured his lungs.
## He found out from the news
The father first learned about police at the school through a WSMV4 news alert. A school official called after, describing the injury as superficial.

> They did not state actually what was happening, and of course, as a parent I panicked.
## Two hours in the dark
He rushed to the hospital and waited two hours before anyone told him how badly his son was hurt.
## The video went around
While the family was still at the hospital, footage of the moment spread online, setting off what the father called a storm of misinformation and blame.

> Why would anybody share something so traumatic to kids?
## Where was the teacher
The father wants Metro Nashville Public Schools to answer why no adult intervened during school hours, and why the district has not pushed back harder on the video.

> As a parent, I feel like it was handled not in a great way.
## District calls it horseplay
MNPS says early information points to horseplay rather than intentional violence, and cites student privacy for withholding details. The father is speaking anonymously, fearing retaliation, and wants stronger safety measures.

> We will continue to cooperate with MNPD and follow all applicable legal and disciplinary processes.
## Key takeaway

When a school downplays an injury and a video of it spreads before parents know the facts, the failure is in how the incident was communicated, not just how it happened.