Chicago’s Morning Answer radio host Dan Proft highlighted the brutal takedown of a student who has Down syndrome in a bathroom at York High School.
“Expect the school district to quickly erect a wall of silence and hide behind their lawyers' arguments about the privacy of the assailants,” Proft said. “It's almost always protect the system at the expense of the victim with these union-run, government school systems.”
A video from the attack shows another student charge into the victim who falls backward to the ground before getting up and fleeing the scene among the jeers of a group of boys.
The boy who perpetrated the attack holds his hands near the end of the video and says, “I did not do anything. I did not do anything.”
A change.org petition was also set up by student Mary Olivia Muti to highlight the issue.
“Hello, students in Elmhurst and Illinois. Yesterday, a student with Down syndrome was violently, physically contacted in a York High School bathroom. Not only was he physically attacked by several students but others watched and laughed. This has occurred numerous of times at our high school and surrounding schools that turn a blind eye to bullying. We the students of York, feel compelled for immediate, radical change for the better with appropriate consequences. We are hoping the administration recognizes the situation and finds a consequence fitting as such. We are sick and tired of this mistreatment,” Muti said.
She said it's pathetic to see her peers mistreated.
“This afternoon, our principal sent out an email to the student body, parents and community members where they addressed the situation and did not fully address the consequences due to violation rules. We understand and respect the schools guidelines and policies. We are praying and hoping that these promises are followed through with action in order to increase safety in this learning environment. Change needs to happen NOW. The Illinois Senate and House members sadly place restrictions on appropriate disciplinary actions in school, which allows this behavior to continue. This is a true epidemic (that) has been occurring for far too long,” Muti said.
She also called for school reform.
“We need bathroom reform in terms of supervision procedures and accountability. We need a safe learning environment for all students. We need more education regarding empathy, bullying, harassment, etc. By signing this petition, we pray and hope to increase awareness for the special needs community at York and all students effected by bullying,” she wrote. “We are sending prayers and love to anyone who was negatively effected by this horrific situation. God bless!”
York High School Principal Shahe Bagdasarian downplayed the incident in a mass email to parents on Friday, saying it was an incident of "student pushing another student," according to Patch.
Following parent outrage, Superintendent Keisha Campbell followed up with her own message over the weekend.
"The video showed an aggressive physical altercation by a student toward another student with a disability, while a group of bystanders watched and laughed," Campbell said. "Throughout the day on Friday, students involved in the situation were interviewed and significant school consequences were issued.”
Campbell said the school’s resource officers provided by the Elmhurst Police Department were investigating the incident further.
"We are deeply disappointed and saddened by the actions of this small group of students," Campbell said. "Bullying, intimidation and harassment diminish a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate. Such behaviors are not tolerated, and any student who chooses to engage in these behaviors will face the appropriate consequences.”
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