A Virginia mom demands that middle school officials take action against her son’s 12-year-old student after he was caught on camera bullying her. The video shows the boy being strangled on a school bus by a girl.
Taylor Brock’s seventh-grader is at Walt Whitman Middle School, Alexandria, Virginia. Her son was attacked on Jan. 23 by a girl riding in a school bus. The girl grabs the boy’s head and then slaps him in the face. The boy doesn’t retaliate.
It is heard that the bus driver told students not to change seats. According to the mother, the girl shifted twice to the boy’s place during the bus ride.
Brock stated that she learned from Brock that her son had been assaulted after he returned home crying with red bruises on his neck.
Brock said to WUSA that his son returned home crying and that he could see the scars on his neck. It is so heartbreaking to see all the children on the bus, and not one of them standing up.
According to the mother, this was her second assault and strangulation of her son by the same girl. She claimed that the same girl had stolen a toy from her son months before the attack. Brock claimed that Brock’s son had suffered emotional trauma.
According to the mother, the video was given to her by a student who had recorded it. Brock provided the video and photographs of the injuries to the school. The school suspended Brock.
Brock was issued a protection order by a Fairfax County judge for two weeks that prohibits the female student from coming within 50 feet of her child. The boy claimed that he passed the girl in the school’s halls and she sat behind him during lunch.
The mother accused the school of failing to honor the protection order and allowing the female student near her son. Brock claimed school officials did not know that she was sitting beside him at lunch.
Brock believes that the suspension wasn’t severe enough and that the girl should be expelled.
She stated, “This child committed an adult felony and suspension was the correct form of discipline?”
Brock calls for school bullying to be stopped.
Brock stated that schools should not only punish children who bully or threaten others but also provide preventative measures like classes on coping strategies, dealing with peer pressure, and thinking positively. These classes reinforce the value and importance of each student.
The mother stated that schools should be held responsible for not adequately protecting her children. They can’t provide a safe environment for their children if they keep these violent acts under wraps, hoping that no one notices.
“Schools must be held accountable. I hope that shining light on this incident, which was fortunately captured on camera, as well as the school’s response to it, will encourage parents to stand up and show the world that things have to change,” she said. I am so sorry for the children who have suffered such traumas. It is hard to imagine how many cases go unrecorded. If the school allows children to be convicted of serious crimes and provides evidence, I don’t think they have any hope for the many uncounted children wandering the halls asking for help. These children are our future. Their lives are important.”
WUSA was informed by Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson that the school administration dealt with the situation according to the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities. Due to federal privacy laws, we are unable to share any further information.
Virginia law states that schools must notify all staff members when there is a protective order.
Guidance from the Virginia Department of Education states
Schools are not legally responsible for the enforcement of court orders, but school boards are committed to student safety. A protective order can be used to identify the safety needs of students. Local policies could also provide guidance about how to support them. Schools may be able to create a plan to support student safety and well-being, depending on the time remaining before the protective order expires. The principal should notify the parent or guardian if a student is in need of a protective order. The student may be assigned a team to assist with safety planning. This could include how to handle violations of the court order. This plan should not be delayed in sending the protective order’s provisions to the appropriate staff. Instead, details of a more detailed support plan can be shared after careful consideration of the student’s safety needs. Schools are not responsible for serving or enforcing protective orders. The principal should contact the local law enforcement agency.
Brock stated that her son has been attending therapy since the attack. She hopes to transfer her son from one school.
A 14-year-old girl took her own life earlier this month after being brutally beaten by a New Jersey classmate. An online video was posted of the attack on Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township. Following the tragic death of Adriana Kuch, students protested and asked school officials to do more for bullying prevention.
After making shocking allegations against the girl’s family and the superintendent, he resigned.
WARNING: This video contains graphic content
