The parents of Brey’anna Brown, a Black girl who had her nose broken by her classmate at a high school in Kansas City, Kansas, reportedly said it was “heartbreaking” to see the teen’s injuries.
Brown reportedly was the target of a racist physical attack at Shawnee Mission East High School in November. Dozens of people, including her parents, protested in front of the school district center on Nov. 30, slamming the school for how it handled the attack.
“We personally had to take her to the emergency room. That is never acceptable,” her father, Shaun Brown Sr., told KCTV. “My daughter, with obvious injuries to her face, broken nose, she had knots all on her forehead, the whole nine yards. I don’t understand how they could just sit there and not get her medical attention.”
The incident started in the hallway between Brown and a white male student. It was captured on video and went viral on social media.
“Walk away,” she said while walking away. “Don’t say nothing unless you’re gonna come say it to my face.”
“Man, shut the f**k up,” the male responded before calling her the N-word repeatedly. He then pushed her.
Seconds later, a scuffle ensued, and both sophomores started throwing punches. An adult and other students eventually broke it up. It prompted a walkout by students, calling for the boy to be expelled and for the administration to address the culture of racism at the predominantly white school.
“It was heartbreaking,” Brown’s mother, Linyka, added. “It made me upset and really mad. What mother wants to see her daughter get hit in the face by anyone, let alone a male? I was livid.”
The 15-year-old male student, whom the school suspended, was charged with felony battery. In a statement to KCTV, the district acknowledged “its responsibility to maintain an educational environment that is free from discriminatory and harassing conduct.”
Although Brown was briefly suspended, she’s proud of how she handled the situation.
“Even if you get in trouble for sticking up for someone else or sticking up for yourself, still, you did the right thing and keep doing what you’re doing,” the child told the news station.
