A security guard at Chicago’s Thornridge High School has been fired after his physical altercation with a 15-year-old student that he and the school allege spat in his face during a school basketball game.
The teen and her mother tell a completely different story and want the guard to be arrested for the violence the girl endured.
Toshiya Statam, the minor at the center of the altercation, was hospitalized on Friday, Dec. 1, after the security guard grabbed her from the bleachers, dragged her down metal rows, and started beating on her in front of her peers.
The freshman says the guard asked her to take her hoodie off. She further alleges that the two exchanged words and she was asked to leave the game.
“I said, ‘What do I got to leave for?’” she says asked him, according to her interview with Fox 32. “That’s when they all came up to the top of the bleacher. He was in my face screaming, and we were going back and forth.”
At least four videos captured the altercation and have been shared with the media.
While in the hospital, doctors sent her to get several CT scans to check if she suffered any serious neurological injuries. Nothing was found, but the young girl did experience trauma. Showing reporters that the guard ripped three braids from her scalp, leaving a bald patch.
Toshiya’s mother, Tosha Statam, wants the security guard arrested.
“I want him arrested. What made you think it was acceptable to put your hands and feet on my child? Not one time, but several times,” the mother said, adding that she has already filed a police report with the Dolton Police Department and pushing for charges to be filed against the guard.
Thornton Township High School District 205 released a statement about the incident.
“During the incident, a student who was attending a basketball game at Thornridge High School in Dolton allegedly spat in the face of a security guard when he attempted to escort her from the gymnasium. In response to this unacceptable behavior, the security guard reacted inappropriately, deviating from his training. The safety and well-being of students is our utmost priority, and any actions that compromise their welfare will not be tolerated,” the statement said.
According to the district, Prudential Security, the vendor who supplied the school with the guard, “has taken swift action by dismissing the security guard from his position effective immediately. We deeply regret any distress or harm caused to those affected by this unfortunate event.”
Despite the firing of the guard, the school and district, still held Toshiya accountable for her alleged role in the altercation, suspending her for 10 days.
The district did not provide video of her spitting on the guard, nor did any student come forward with footage that shows her spitting on him. All of the footage that was seen shows him pummeling the teen, interrupting the game, and the crowd frantically dispersing.
