(WSVN) - Her son was badly beaten on a school bus. In a second you will see it, and the punishment for the attacker? A joke, the mother said, but should the attacker have been charged with a crime? It’s why she called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
Zion is a good kid. It’s not an accident.
Shakara Dennis: “He’s such a loving person. That’s how I was raised, so that’s how I raised him.”
A 12-year-old who works hard to get A’s in school.
Shakara Dennis: ” Zion is very smart. Zion wants to be a brain surgeon when he grows up.”
And then he got on a Broward school bus.
Shakara Dennis: “The kids started taking out their phones and started recording. It was planned. The students said to me that it was planned.”
This is what the kids were told to get ready for: a 12-year-old girl attacking Zion.
Shakara Dennis: “Punched in his head over and over, kicked in his head numerous times. His head was bashed against the school bus a couple of times, so no one stopped it. No one helped him.”
Watch, Zion never stood up to punch back, even though he could have overpowered her.
Zion: “Because she’s a female.”
Shakara Dennis: “Because I told him and I taught him not to put his hands on women.”
The beating lasted 48 seconds., leaving Zion bloodied with blurry vision.
Shakara Dennis: “Right now, Zion’s eye, his cornea is cut because of, I guess, the kicking in his face. His vision’s been a little blurry.”
Shakara says the bus driver never did anything to stop the beating, and the attacker’s mother said she couldn’t do anything.
Shakara Dennis: “She stated to me that her daughter was out of control. There was nothing that she could do to control her.”
Shakara contacted the police.
Shakara Dennis: “Law enforcement didn’t do anything.”
She met with the school officials.
Shakara Dennis: “And nobody’s doing anything.”
The principal did decide to punish the attacker by not letting her ride the bus for two days, but Shakara said she could still go to school, and after the two day suspension, got back on the bus with Zion.
Shakara calls the punishment a joke.
Shakara Dennis: “Because the crime was committed. My son was assaulted. That’s a crime, correct?”
Zion is quiet about being beaten. Shakara says the attacker is not.
Shakara Dennis: “And she was gloating about it.”
Shakara says that’s because the lesson the girl learned, you can get away with bullying and beating someone.
Shakara Dennis: “I think there’s no concern. It’s not serious until someone ends up dying.”
Well, Howard, here is the video. Is a two-day suspension from riding the bus the proper punishment in this care?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “Not all all. This is beyond lenient and leaves the victim in a horrible place being forced to ride to school with his attacker. And should the girl have been charged with a crime for the unprovoked attack? Yes, and one more thing: this girl needs counselling immediately.”
We contacted the Broward School District. A spokesperson said the school “took the incident seriously, and disciplinary methods related to the incident were in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct.”
We reviewed the 134-page document where it says “fighting on the bus” can lead to a “1-day to 10 days suspension.”
But on page 71, the code says a physical attack, which the video shows occurred, can lead to “suspension and possible expulsion” from school.
We asked the district spokesperson why they chose the lesser punishment. We didn’t get an answer.
Shakara Dennis: “When you do something wrong, there are consequences.”
Shakara says she’s not giving up. She’s going to ask the state attorney to charge the attacker, to send a message to bullies so other families don’t have to go through what her family has been through.
Shakara Dennis: “And getting justice not only for my son, but for every child that’s being bullied, for every mother that cannot stand up like me. I’m standing up for all moms.”
Good luck in your fight to stop bullying, Shakara.
Two things. Zion told us he, thinks the girl attacked him because he didn’t want to hang around with her anymore. Also, Shakara is trying to move him to another school so he doesn’t have to ride the bus with that girl.
We will keep an eye on this case and let you know what happens.
With this Help me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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