Video of a Long Island high school student getting pummeled in a hallway attack at school was posted online, and now the teen's father plans on suing the district, claiming they did not do enough to protect his daughter.
The attack inside the halls of Central Islip High School on March 17 was captured on cellphone video and later shared on social media. In the clip, a 14-year-old girl is seen getting thrown to the floor by another student, who then starts hitting the victim in the face. The attacker continues to strike her as the teen tries to get away down the hallway.
The girl's father said he first saw the video of the incident online.
"When I saw the video on social media, I was even more infuriated because I noticed my daughter didn’t have any help," said Ezra Hoyte. "You can see her — disoriented, looking for help, running around the corner. So I was sad and upset."
Suffolk County police said that the teen suffered minor injuries in the attack, which Hoyte called unprovoked. Police confirmed that the 14-year-old alleged attacker was arrested for assault.
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Hoyte said that his daughter hasn't been back to school since the violent incident, and may never return.
"Emotionally, she’s just like, just distraught," the father said.
The father of two now plans to sue Central Islip schools for $2 million, claiming the school was negligent in failing to prevent or stop the assault.
"I just want her to be protected and stricter judgment for these kids, so it won’t happen," he said Wednesday. "I can’t be there to protect her, and that’s why I’m kind of afraid, and she’s afraid to go back to school."
Central Islip schools declined comment on the incident citing the pending lawsuit. But in a statement, the district said it "seeks to avoid the consequences of student altercations by proactive approaches to establishing a school climate free of physical engagements."
Another parent agreed with the district, saying that "for the most part, they are very, very on top of everything," and said the fight seen on video was an isolated incident.
A senior at the high school also said he has seen a marked decline in fights at the school. But none of that is consolation for Hoyte, who said his daughter should have been protected from what happened.
"I was expecting her to be protected when she goes to school, so there’s no reason why this happens," said Hoyte.
The incident comes to light just two days after cellphone videos posted on social media showed the moments after a stabbing inside Lindenhurst Middle School between two boys, which may have been over a girl. Parents at that school said the fight wasn't terribly surprising, calling it part of a school atmosphere of social media harassment and physical violence that school officials have failed to address.
Officials in Lindenhurst said the stabbing was an isolated incident. In a previous statement, the Lindenhurst superintendent said that "safety and security is a top priority" at the school.
It also comes in the wake of bullying claims from a New Jersey high school. In one incident at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township, video — which also was shared on social media, similarly to the Central Islip attack — showed several students viciously attacking a 14-year-old student as she was walking with her boyfriend in a school hallway.
The victim in that incident, Adiana Kuch, took her own life at home just days after the alleged bullying incident in early February. Since that time, more allegations of bullying surfaced at the school, as parents and students voiced their frustrations. The incidents and emotional outcry led to the district superintendent's resignation.
