HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida mother is expressing her concerns and demanding accountability hours after her teenage son was body slammed on campus, leaving him badly bruised and concussed.
Homestead Police said, Tuesday, they have arrested an eighth grade student in connection to the fight, charging with robbery by sudden snatching.
The victim’s family said they notified police about the attack and will be pressing charges against the other student.
Cellphone video of Monday morning’s incident at Keys Gate Charter School in Homestead shows the eighth grade student thrown to the ground, punched several times, while on the ground, and stomped by someone described as an older, bigger student.
“There’s a video of my son being slammed and then stomped on the head,” the student’s mother said.
The 14-year-old victim’s mother said two older students were after her son’s iPhone, and when he refused to give it up, one of them beat him up.
“One kid held him so another kid could steal his phone. My son was able to retrieve the phone and tried to walk away, and that’s when the kid started fighting him,” she said. “Gruesome, very graphic, and I don’t think any parent’s child should have to go through this.”
The student’s mother, who asked not to be identified or show her face on camera, said her son had to be driven to Baptist Homestead Hospital with a concussion. She said he also has a bruised eye.
The 11-second clip shows the assailant hitting the victim right under his left eye.
“My child is not safe, not safe. There’s not enough supervision at the school for it to get that far,” said the victim’s mother.
The teen’s mother said he is home recovering, and she is not happy.
“I’m upset that the school didn’t notify me before they notified those children’s parents, so they could come and get their kid,” she said. “They should be safe. You send them to school to return home.”
The student’s mother added that she wanted to meet with police along with the parents of the other students involved.
The mother of the other student involved in the incident told 7News that her son, who is also in the eighth grade, was defending himself. She said she does not, however, condone what happened.
The school on Tuesday released a statement that read, “As always, our highest priority is the safety and security of our students and we do not tolerate violence or fights on our school grounds. Yesterday, there was an altercation between two middle-school boys and while we are not at liberty to discuss any student’s disciplinary consequences, we can say that we follow the Miami-Dade County Code of Conduct and take all appropriate actions.”
It remains unclear whether or not school officials also reached out to police.
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