‘I was just crying and crying’: Bakersfield student severely burned after school security held her down on a metal plate
A 14-year-old student at Bakersfield High School was sent to the burn ward after being pinned to the ground by school security. Bridgette Chocoteco received second- and third-degree burns across her face and body after school officials allegedly held her down over a metal plate that had heated up under the California sun.
Photos of Chocoteco’s horrific injuries were circulated online, and netizens expressed outrage after people learned that school officials had caused her burns. Many called for the school staff to be held accountable.
The teen has since spoken out in an exclusive interview with KGET 17, where she shared her side of the story.
She claimed that campus security had pinned her down on a scorching metal plate and subsequently ignored her pleas as she cried out for them to stop: “I was just crying and crying, and I was just kind of in shock,” she said. Chocoteco was left with a bloodied face, blisters across her stomach, and huge burns on her thighs.
The incident occurred after a fight with another student
According to Bridgette, the incident occurred during her second week as a freshman, on August 25. The 14-year-old had allegedly gotten into a physical altercation with a boy who also attended Bakersfield High School.
She claimed she walked away from the fight, but that a teacher subsequently grabbed her and her reflexes kicked in. “The lady grabbed me, like twice – and I yanked my arm back the first time,” she said. “And then I yanked it again, and I told her to let go of me. And she didn’t, so I hit her.”
Chocoteco said that after she struck the teacher, the school security rushed in and pinned her to the ground. However, there was a metal plate that had been baking in the sun where they pinned her. The metal ended up scorching Chocoteco’s skin, causing the injuries that were shared online.
The student claimed that she screamed and told the security that she was burning, but her cries were allegedly ignored. “I was screaming that I was burning and they just kind of held me even harder,” she told KGET. “One of them said that’s what I get.”
While Bridgette admitted that her own actions “weren’t right,” she said it “doesn’t excuse theirs.” She went on to add “If they would have just gave me a second to calm down, this wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t have put my hands on anybody. They didn’t have to touch me.”
Meanwhile, Bridgette’s mother, Kristian Chocoteco, said the school didn’t inform her of the extent of her daughter’s injuries. She also called the school official’s actions “disgusting” and called for them to be sent to jail.
(Featured image: KGET News, YouTube)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
