9-year-old NYC boy chokes in school cafeteria

(a) no one speaks english (b) we are in a heightened state of sensitivity that no one touches anyone anymore for fear of being sued (c) basic common sense has been thrown out the window for "protocol'.. a child lost his life because we fail as a society to get involved anymore!!!!

This is just HORRIBLE!!! When I was a waitress my boss gave us a quick tutorial on how to administer the Heimlich Maneuver. I'm saddened that this isn't mandatory for teachers and cafeteria workers. that is NOT RIGHT!!!

OK, We have a PARENT watching the cafeteria worker do nothing as the boy lay on the ground Choking. At one point they even yelled at him to put his "finger down his throat". Why did the PARENT not do anything except stand there and watch a boy die? The heimlich menuver is not hard to do or learn. It is something EVERBODY should learn. The Parent needs to be blamed in this as much as the cafeteria workers do. If I saw someone choking I would give aid. I know I would because I have done it twice. I would be ASHAMED to tell the New Crew that I watched somebody do nothing and did not attempt to help myself.

Unbelievable! No one knew the Heimlich Maneuver? This is inexcusable!

I saw a dog walking service for charpei dogs that the walkers know CPR to save
life of a dog? Red Cross teaches and gives certificate of CPR to teachers, janitors ,
bus drivers???very sad for the family that no one cared....even waiters need to
know if someones chokes on food.

It takes a couple of hours to learn CPR and How to help a choking person. It should be mandatory for teachers to know this and all adults. Doing something is better than doing nothing!

Once, when I was a teacher, I had to apply the Heimlich maneuver to a child that ended up shooting a piece of hamburger almost half the size of his hand!! When I informed the Principal, for the sake of possible insurance issues and to alert the child's parents of possible damage to his ribs, the Principal looked up from his new Apple computer "toy" and said: "Atta boy" and went back to the screen!!! I contacted the mother and informed her but she was more concerned as to if the boy asked for her first, since the parents were going through a divorce??!!!!! I filled out some paperwork to cover my butt, since the apathy level of this Polk County Florida school was so high and went about my way, thankful that my training when I was a police officer was such that my instinct to help others would always be constant in issues like this matter. Oh yea, a few years later I read that the Principal did everything but have another teacher canonized when he helped change a flat tire of an old woman!!!! Priorities, folks, priorities!!! I'd bet that the school where this child was a student wishes that their staff were trained in First Aid and other protection actions, as do the parents!!!

That's totally messed up! Why in the hell would you just stand around while a child is choking to death?! I work in a school and I see children everyday.....if any of them were to choke, I would do my best to help them. This is a sad, sad story.

Wonder how much of a lawsuit NYC schools are in for? School officials that do not know anything about saving a childs life, now that's a joke...

How is it that ANYONE who works at a school doesn't have first aid training?

A parent at the school, Andrea Perez, said she called 911 then why didn't they instruct her to do something, like CPR?

All persons working at schools, city jobs, state jobs, and private schools even restaurants should be required to have training in CPR, and Choking, they are the front line and a law should be passed that prevents suing a person that tries to save a life. In Oklahoma teachers many of whom know these skills and they do in the most part keep a eye on the children.

How can ANYONE be hired to work with children in ANY capacity without knowing CPR? This is a fault of the school system and they should be held accountable for this child's death.

Why didnt Andrea Perez do something? Duhhh she apparently witnessed it. She stood there and watched him die.

OK working at a school and not one person knew CPR? That's is just ridiculous. I was under the belief that working in an environment such as a school, that the staff was trained in CPR. I guess I was wrong. My condolsences goes out to the family of this young man. I am truly sorry for your loss.

Anybody that works in a school should be trained in First Aid and CPR as well as how to give the Heimlich Maneuver. School Nurses should know how to give an emergency tracheotomy and teachers should be certified as EMT-Basics or First Responders
at the very least.

Sad that the boy died, and that no cafeteria people, or teachers, or school nurses came to his aid. Seems that if the cafeteria was monitored, and basic CPR was taught, perhaps a different outcome would have happened. No sight like hindsight, but these things can be easily rectified.

if those workers touched that child, they would be liable for anyting that happened....lawyers wanted these rules...now live with them

i guess the food handlers arent taught Basic FIrst Aid HMM like it is required in most restraunts OHHHH BY the Way it is taught for FREE

It is unbelieveable to me that know one in the whole #$%$ school knew CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. I'd sue the pants off the place and I am not a sue happy bum!