A ninth-grade student in Cincinnati, Ohio, had only been enrolled in Shroder High School for a little over a week before he was beaten unconscious by a few of his new classmates.
The family says the bullies committed “felonious assault” when they jumped him because he did not let them copy his notes.
The teen’s uncle said the act of violence was “completely unacceptable.”
The district noted at a board meeting the five students who beat up the boy have been either suspended or expelled for the incident.
According to his family, the teens had a biology assignment due on March 15, but some were unprepared. When they asked the victim if they could get the answers from his paper, he told them no, WKRC reports.
The victim’s mother Tamara Lanier said when she spoke to the school’s nurse, she told her that the teens picked on her son before because of a “pencil.”
The school states staffers and school security intervened to stop the fight. But not soon enough to prevent the child from requiring medical assistance.
Police and medical professionals were called to the school to assist the victim, taking him to a local hospital.
The Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) hosted a meeting for its board members and the boy’s family to discuss the altercation.
At the meeting, Lanier said she was “appalled,” adding, “My heart is broken,” as she addressed the assembly.
The Pleasant Ridge resident pushed the school to consider that there may have been people on campus that did not belong there.
The board assured her it was reviewing surveillance footage and checking out the hallway where the boy was attacked. Monitoring the flow of the class release traffic, they believe, will give them a clearer picture of what happened to Lanier’s son.
The teen’s uncle, Derrick Kearney, expressed how disturbed he is regarding the attack. “This is completely unacceptable,” Kearney said.
The family alleges the wayward students were gang members and somehow may have gotten entry to the school. Police said they could not confirm any gang affiliations in the group but did say an arrest was made in regard to the case.
CPS confirmed that one student was arrested and the other teens were either suspended or expelled. Warrants have been issued for several of the teens, but no word if they had been served.
The family had five questions regarding CPS’ response to the attack.
“What is CPS’ specific plan to keep my son safe in school and free from retaliation since we have pressed criminal charges in this matter?” the mother asked.
She followed up with more questions, asking, “What alternative education environments are available to complete the school year” and “have you investigated whether or not you had students in the school who should not have been in the school building based on past behavioral issues?”
“What is CPS’ specific plan to keep all of our students safe from experiencing student-to-student violence on school property … gang or not gang-related?” Lanier asked before turning her attention to the workers inside the schools.
Her fifth and final question was “What is CPS doing to support our principals, administrative staff, and safety teams to provide them with the necessary support and resources to enact the district’s plan? Each school cannot be left on their own and forced to figure this out on a one-off basis.”
A statement released did not address all of her concerns but presented some plans to support students, administrators, and teachers.
The district first noted it was “fully cooperating” with the Cincinnati Police Department,” then it detailed what happened and some of the reprimands to the young men in question.
Lastly, CPS condemned the violence and gave schools recommendations to help address some of the challenges they may face on campus.
“Violence of any kind against our students is unacceptable and additional measures besides strengthening security protocols are needed,” the statement declared, offering long-term solutions for all the schools within the district.
Schools are recommended to promote “positive conflict resolution programs by expanding training and implementation of restorative practices, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).”
The schools are encouraged to focus on developing partnerships with mental health services and community partnerships to “neighborhood issues that make their way into schools.”
