Holly MatkinHomestead, FL – Horrific cell phone footage captured the moment when a nine-year-old girl was ruthlessly pummeled by two bullies on her school bus last week (video below).
One of the suspects is a 14-year-old boy, the victim’s mother, Jenni, told CBS News.
Jenni reached out to the local news outlet just hours before the assault to report problems with bullying at Coconut Palm K-8 Academy, according to CBS News.
She said her children have only been enrolled at the school for three weeks, but that they have both been assaulted during that time.
Jenni said her nine-year-old daughter and her 10-year-old son were both pummeled by bullies while riding the bus on Feb. 1, CBS News reported.
She said she was horrified when someone sent her the now-viral cell phone footage of her little girl being beaten by two boys that day, FOX News reported.
“Emotionally, I couldn’t even last two minutes. I couldn’t look at the video,” Jenni told CBS News. “Like any mother, I am destroyed. I fell to my knees and at that moment I said ‘I have to do something.’”
The footage showed a boy who appeared to be in his teens as he punched the nine-year-old third-grader repeatedly in her face, head, and neck.
A second, younger boy also joined in, striking the girl over and over as she cowered and futilely attempted to shield her head from the blows.
The vicious assault occurred in the area of 24400 SW 124th Avenue at approximately 4:10 p.m., The Palm Beach Post reported.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) responded to the scene and assessed two children for injuries, then released them to their parents.
The victim’s mother said there were at least two adults – the driver and an aide – aboard the bus at the time of the attack, FOX News reported.
“All ages are on that bus, and it’s overfilled,” she said, according to the news outlet. “It’s very crazy because there’s all this yelling going on in the bus and the two adults on the bus – the bus (driver) and the bus aide, only sit in the front.”
She said she is pressing charges against Coconut Palm K-8 Academy over the brutal assault and the repeated incidents leading up to it, FOX News reported.
“We’ve had issues before with my son and the kids on the bus, and also in the cafeteria and at dismissal,” she said. “I already drew the line, and I was also on phone with the district – I spoke with someone from the district – and the only thing they could advise me of was to continue to speak with the principal and pull up a bully report.”
“You’re taking care of our children – you’re still responsible for them,” the devastated mother added. “That’s what you have a job for. Not only to teach them, but if you see anything going on in your classroom, you don’t necessarily have to physically intervene, but call somebody who can. Because if somebody’s child ends up dead, it’s on the school.”
Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a statement in the wake of the incident confirming that “the offender” had been arrested and “will be charged accordingly,” CBS News reported.
“Additionally, those involved will be disciplined according to the code of student conduct,” the district said.
“This school district goes to great lengths to promote the values of restraint and respect as well as using social media responsibly. We ask that parents reinforce these principles at home,” school district officials added, according to FOX News.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content and Obscene Language:
Graphic content.
Viral video shows two boys beating a 9-year-old girl on a school bus in Homestead, Fla. on Feb. 1. The mother of the girl says she has reported bullying to Coconut Palm K-8 Academy but was informed they couldn’t do anything. pic.twitter.com/y3FlfrtNyJ
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) February 3, 2023
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