Fourth-Grade Class Report Causes Panic At OKC School

A metro fourth-grader caused a stir at his elementary school this week with a controversial science experiment report.

Ten-year-old Romeo Cox's report was how to make a bottle "explode" with baking soda and vinegar, a science experiment he claimed he learned in an after school program he attends. He presented the report in class before the Christmas break and thought his teacher approved.

"She just clapped her hands and said 'Good job,'" said Cox. "And then that was it."

That was it until shortly before noon on Wednesday, when Romeo's mother Latosia Blakely received a phone call from her son's school.

"The teacher called me and said that he wrote a report on how to make a bomb," Blakely said. "They called the police to come and deal with the situation."

Blakely and her husband went to Gatewood Elementary and waited for the police, only to find out later that a police report was made over the phone. Romeo apparently never knew anything was wrong, until his mother showed up at school and checked him out. He finds the entire incident a little confusing.

"I don't know why I'm in trouble," he said. "I thought they were gonna take me away or somethin'."

His parents are not only surprised at the school's response, but angered.

"I feel like they're tryin' to say my baby's a criminal," said Blakely.

Romeo's parents removed him from Gatewood and plan on enrolling him in another school this week.

Here is the response from OKCPS:

"The Oklahoma City Public School District administration is aware of the incident at Gatewood Elementary School involving an assignment presented by a fourth grade student. This is not an issue of Freedom of Speech but an issue of the safety of all students and staff. OKCPS district administrators investigated the incident and based on the circumstances the student was appropriately disciplined according to the Student Code of Conduct."