Student Who Helped Asthmatic Student Suspended

15 year old Anthony Ruelas was only trying to help one of his fellow students who was having an asthma attack but was suspended for his good deed.

At Gateway Middle School in Killeen, an alternative school, Ruelas was in class while his classmate had been wheezing and gagging for three minutes. The teacher was waiting on an e-mail from the school nurse to find out what to do.

The teacher had asked the class to remain calm and stay at their desks.

The girl fell eventually fell out of her chair and Ruelas picked her up and proceeded to carry her to the nurse's office.

"I broke rules but, she need help, like she needed help,” said Ruelas.

Mandy Cortes, Anthony Ruelas' mother, had been told before picking him up he was suspended for walking out of class.

The school district issued this response to the incident:

"The District is unable to provide details related to the matter as it pertains to information involving student discipline and/or health records. In an effort to protect students' rights to confidentiality granted under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the details of the investigation and/or disciplinary actions may not be provided by the district at this time. The Killeen ISD maintains the safety of our students, staff and campuses as a priority and applauds the efforts of students who act in good faith to assist others in times of need."

-John Craft, Superintendent, Killeen Independent School District

Cortes believes her son should not have been suspended for trying to help.

"Especially with it being an alternative school I feel like the kids hear enough of ‘they're bad’ or their behavior, or you know, and for them to not be rewarded for
really something that is brave, ya know, he is a hero to me,” said Cortes.

Ruelas received a two day suspension.

To make matters worse, the school called Cortes the next day and asked why her son wasn't at school. She had to remind them of his suspension.

The student Ruelas helped was thankful for what he did, even texting him to say she was "ok."

He did break the rules, and this wasn't his first suspension, but should he have been suspended for trying to help a fellow student?