A South Side mother is turning up the heat on Chicago Public Schools after she says her 12-year-old son was assaulted in a Pershing Magnet School classroom last December. The family says the boy came home with visible bruises and scratches and that school officials waited hours before telling them what had happened. A teacher is now facing criminal charges, and the family is demanding clearer oversight from the district.
What police and court records say
According to FOX 32 Chicago, court records and police reports say the incident took place on Dec. 12, 2025, at about 10:40 a.m. inside Pershing Magnet School. The records name 37-year-old Alayne Pierce-Collins and allege she grabbed the student in class, dragged him, struck him, and put him in a chokehold, with injuries prosecutors say included swelling under one eye and cuts to the face. FOX 32 Chicago also reports the boy’s mother, Markeita Brown, saying she was not told about the incident until roughly 2 p.m., and that she later showed photos of his bruises at a news conference.
How local outlets have framed it
Reporting republished by larger outlets notes the criminal counts include aggravated battery of a child causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery by strangulation, and that the case has drawn attention amid other allegations against district staff. As AOL summarized from local reporting, some critics say the episode fits into a troubling pattern of staff-related abuse cases that have surfaced across Chicago Public Schools this school year.
School response and next steps
Per the school’s message to families quoted in FOX 32 Chicago, administrators told parents the allegation involved an "improper relationship" and said it "does not involve sexual misconduct," adding that the employee has been removed pending an Office of Student Protections and Title IX investigation. The article notes Pierce-Collins declined to comment and reports her next court date is scheduled for June 1.
What the charges mean under Illinois law
The counts named against the teacher are classified as felonies under state law. Illinois aggravated battery statutes specifically list strangulation and causing "great bodily harm" among the conduct that elevates a simple battery to an aggravated offense, per the Illinois General Assembly, meaning prosecutors can pursue more serious penalties if they prove those elements.
What comes next
Brown says she wants clear answers from the district about how the school handled the incident and what steps will be taken to keep her son safe if he returns. The criminal case is set to proceed in Cook County court next month while the district’s internal review continues, and both processes will determine whether the teacher faces discipline, criminal penalties, or both.
