6-year-old boy gets rash from science class

ATLANTA — Parents told Channel 2 Action News they are frustrated with a local school's response after several students broke out in a mysterious rash.

Rodney Blackwell told Channel 2's Matt Belanger his son and other students were in a science class when they started itching and suffering from burns on their skin.

"There was little kids crying and hollering," Blackwell said.

Blackwell says he got an urgent call Thursday that he needed to come to Deerwood Academy in southwest Atlanta to pick up his 6-year-old son.

"I had to take him to the hospital," Blackwell said.

An Atlanta Public School official confirmed Patron Blackwell, 6, was one of seven students in the same science class who suddenly developed a mysterious rash.

The first-grade student said his teacher saw students scratching and sent them to the nurse.

"I started itching and turned red and circles came out," Patron said.

Atlanta Public Schools responded with a statement reading in part:

"All students were examined by the nurse and the nurse monitored them until their parents arrived. There were no chemicals being used in the science lab, nor were there any spills in the lab."

Blackwell said doctors told him to monitor the rash and make sure it goes away.

Blackwell wants the school district's response to include disinfecting the room before more students use the classroom.

The school district also said it sent a letter home to all students in the affected class to alert parents to what happened.

School administrators are still looking into what the source of the rash could have been.

Cox Media Group