A student at Killeen’s Gateway Middle School was suspended Tuesday after he left class to carry a fellow student to the nurse’s office.

15-year-old Anthony Rueles was worried about the girl who sits next to him class when she started having difficulty breathing. The class was instructed to remain seated until their teacher received an email response from the school’s nurse.

After a few minutes of struggling to breathe while having what appeared to be an asthma attack, the girl reportedly fell out of her chair. Rueles swore, left his seat, and picked the girl up. He then carried her to the nurse’s office located in a portable building on campus.

When Rueles returned to class, he was told he’d be suspended for a day as punishment.

KISD Superintendent John Craft said in a statement that the district cannot provide details concerning student discipline or health records.

Craft went on to say that the district “applauds the efforts of students who act in good faith to assist others in need”, but Rueles’ mother,  Mandy Cortes, was not satisfied with that sentiment.

Cortes considers her son a hero, and is questioning why the school would punish someone trying to do the right thing. She told KCEN-TV she received a call from the school Wednesday asking why her son was absent and had to remind them that he’d been suspended. She’s now considering home-schooling.

Meanwhile, Rueles’ classmate texted him Wednesday to let him know she was ok.

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