Before being taken into custody following a stabbing at Verdugo Hills High School earlier this month, a 14-year-old Tujunga teen claimed that his classmates had been attacking him and using racial epithets for months.
Attorney Brad Gage stated, “There is no question about it, this is a case of racism.”
In late August, Gage posted a video showing the 14-year-old being assaulted and jumped in a school restroom. He added that following the incident, the teen’s mother met with school administrators.
She stated, “They don’t care,” “What irritates me the most is that they did nothing to the other child. They did nothing but sit there.
Verdugo Hills has extremely few African American students, according to the 14-year-old’s attorneys. They stated that the youngster was singled out by Latino pupils who threatened to stab him, physically assaulted him, and used racial epithets against him practically immediately after the start of classes in August.
“The school wanted to force my child out right after the incident of him being jumped in the bathroom,” the mother of the youngster stated. “They wanted him to leave the school without disciplining the children who were the root of the issue. I said no because they did nothing. My son is doing well, therefore he will remain here.”
The mother feels that the issue escalated to what transpired on campus on December 9 since nothing was done to apprehend her son’s attackers. According to Gage, incident began in the schoolyard when two students threw his client to the ground once more, struck him, and used a racial insult.
“At some point, others that are part of the group or gang; they come and chase our client with a big butcher knife trying to kill him,” Gage explained.
Someone can be heard yelling, “He’s got a knife!” in a video.
According to Gage, his client was attempting self-defense when two other people were stabbed. Their injuries were not life-threatening. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the 14-year-old was taken into custody for assault with a deadly weapon. He accused the district and Verdugo Hills High School of failing to protect the 14-year-old, filing a government claim as a prelude to a lawsuit.
“It’s the school’s failure to act properly in August and September that led to a stabbing in December,” Gage stated.
According to a statement from the Los Angeles Unified School District, they do not comment on current or pending lawsuits.
When the mother stated, “My son is a good smart kid,” “My son was in a potentially fatal circumstance. Because of everything that has been going on, he is unable to return over here, therefore I still feel like he could be killed.”
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