Boy, 3, burned while at southwest Houston school

School says child injured when hot ground beef fell out of his burrito, onto his hand

HOUSTON – A three-year-old boy received a bad burn on his hand while at school, and now his mom and grandmother are demanding answers.

Bentley Willhite attends the Varnett Charter School on South Willow Drive in southwest Houston.

School administrators told Bentley's mom and Local 2 that the child was injured at lunch when some hot ground beef fell out of his burrito and landed on his hand.

But Bentley's mom, Britney Johnson, is not buying it.

"When I saw the burn I almost passed out," Johnson said. "I could not believe it was that severe. I wasn't expecting a blister, I was expecting a little red mark because they were telling me it was ground beef."

Johnson took her son to see a doctor, she said the burn is second degree. The skin on his thumb is now raw and was blistered when it first happened.

A school administrator admitted to Local 2 the lunch was served hot, she said teacher's aides told the students to wait until it cooled off before they took a bite. She said they are required to heat their lunches to a certain temperature for health reasons.

"I want the truth," Johnson said. "I want to know what really happened to my child. I'm not satisfied with that answer. How is my son the only one that was burned? They all eat at the same time, the same temperature, the same food. Why is he the only child that is injured?"

Johnson said her son will not be returning to classes at the school because he's traumatized after the incident.

"He doesn't even want to go back," she said. "He was so excited the first and second week and now he doesn't even want to go."

A school administrator said they are offering to pay for the medical bills.