Teen’s Lung Punctured by Hair Comb During Incident at High School

Charlotte PhillippMon, September 14, 2026 at 10:40 AM UTC

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Metro Nashville Police Department vehicleCredit: Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Facebook -

A Tennessee high school student was hospitalized after a hair comb punctured his lung during an incident at school

The school initially described the event as “horseplay,” and it took the teen’s family two hours to learn the full extent of his injuries, his father said

A video of the incident circulated online, sparking misinformation and raising questions about school supervision and response, according to the teen’s dad

A Tennessee father is speaking out after his son’s lung was punctured in an incident initially described as “horseplay.”

According to local outlets WKRN and WSMV, police officers were called to Whites Creek High School in Nashville, Tenn., just after 9:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Metro Nashville Public Schools said that a student had been taken to the hospital “following an incident in which a piece of a comb, or hair pick, became lodged in their body,” a spokesperson for the district told the outlets.

The district spokesperson said in the immediate aftermath of the incident that the student’s injuries were “not serious or life-threatening,” and added that officials believed it “was not an intentional act of violence” and instead occurred during “horseplay.”

“School officials and law enforcement are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Parents of the student who was injured have been notified,” the district said.

The father of the teen who was injured — who declined to be identified so that his son wouldn’t face repercussions following the incident — told WSMV in a follow-up that the injuries were more serious than the district initially thought.

“It stuck him in his side. It actually punctured his lungs,” the father said.

A view of Whites Creek High School in Nashville, Tenn.Credit: Google Maps

The teen’s parent explained to WSMV that he first learned about police being called to the school through a local news alert. Soon after, school officials contacted him to say that his son had a superficial injury and was being transported to the hospital, he told the outlet.

“They did not state what was actually happening. And of course, as a parent, I panicked,” the father continued.

The teen’s dad said he rushed to the hospital, where he waited for two hours before learning the extent of his son’s injuries.

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While his family was still at the hospital, a video of the incident began circulating on social media — and the father said the video created what he described as a social media storm of misinformation and finger-pointing, per WSMV.

“Why would anybody share something so traumatic to kids?” he questioned.

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The father also told WSMV he had questions about how the school and district handled the situation, including whether a teacher was present during the incident and why the school had not issued a response to the video by the following day.

“As a parent, I feel like it was handled not in a great way,” the father said.

In a follow-up statement, Metro Nashville Public Schools said its initial comments were based on the limited information that was provided while an investigation into the incident was still underway, per WSMV.

“Given the student-specific nature of the matter and our obligations regarding student privacy, we are not able to provide additional details about the circumstances or any actions involving individual students,” the school district told the outlet.

“We will continue to cooperate with MNPD and follow all applicable legal and disciplinary processes.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Metro Nashville Public Schools for comment.

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