By Dianne Anderson

Last week’s violent attack against a Black student at Jehue Middle School in Colton quickly went viral  on social media with footage of a young girl’s head being slammed into a desk by a male student twice her size.

That video shows the male laughing as she lay unconscious, sparking community demands for answers about classroom safety, discipline, and questions about the failure of the school or teacher to prevent the assault.

Activists want accountability.

Rev. Samuel Casey calls for more scrutiny into school policy with stronger safety measures to protect students. The young girl was petite and fell limp to the floor, unconscious.

Pastor Casey said while he is not speaking on behalf of the victim’s family, he grieves for the family. As a concerned citizen, he said no one can look away at brutality against children unable to defend themselves.

“The role of COPE has always been to fight for greater accountability around issues of equity anti-Black, and ensuring the safety of not only black students but the safety of all students,” said Casey, Executive Director of Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE). “We vehemently denounce violence, racial and verbal attacks, in this case in particular the assault on that young Black girl.”

Casey emphasized the need to improve campus safety and social-emotional engagement with youth.

“I’m not talking about more police,” he said. “I’m talking more trained counselors, trained in counseling techniques of healing for the safety of the children, youth, teachers and educators on campus that is restorative justice, responsible and redemptive.”

Studies show increased policing on campus does not equate to a safer campus, he said, but rather it shortens the pipeline to prison.

Especially as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion gains are now being dismantled, he said schools must brace for what’s ahead.  Drastic cuts to education will leave students more vulnerable even though more work is needed to improve conditions, learning outcomes, and teacher preparation and development.

Schools need both bias training and anti-Blackness engagement and training, he said.

“Address Black erasure, and systemic harm done through the educational system perpetuated by modern-day [hatred at the] national level that is showing up in local communities. We need to come together as a community to fight for justice, equity and equality for one another. This is the time to do it,” he said.

He is also pushing for the police citations, especially for the girl who is the victim, to be rescinded.

Colton Police Department did not return calls by press time.

On their Department’s website, they report the March 10 incident was recorded by another student on their cell phone, and officers responded to the school and carried out a thorough investigation, including gathering statements from the teacher that was present, along with several other witnesses.

According to the statement, the video does not capture part of the incident where the victim was struck multiple times in the head with a metal object. However, the police do not distinguish which of the two 14-year-olds is the victim — the petite girl or the male student who knocked her out to the floor.

The department notes the investigation is ongoing as the Colton Police Department works closely with the Rialto Unified School District. Next, the case will be sent to San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, Juvenile Division, for further review.

Jehue Middle School Principal Carolyn Eide had not returned a call for comment.

Both students were cited and released into the care of their parents.

Rialto USD Spokesperson, Syeda Jafri, said the district is aware of the classroom incident where two students were involved in a physical fight with racial slurs shouted by various students. She said the District acted promptly and contacted the parents of the students involved, and medical aid was provided.

“This disturbing and unfortunate incident is under investigation by the District and local authorities. The District does not condone the violent actions of the students and does not tolerate hate speech on any of its campuses,” she said.

Students at the District attend presentations yearly, she added, and are provided materials on kindness, prohibiting discrimination and hate speech.

“This incident in one classroom does not define the great student-centered accomplishments of the school, the students or the staff. The District thanks the parents and education community for their patience and support as the investigation continues and a plan of action is developed,” she said.

In a statement, State Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes said she is also communicating with the California Legislative Black Caucus, along with her counterparts Assemblymembers Robert Garcia and James Ramos regarding this incident.

“We are watching closely and will be monitoring next steps to determine future action on this issue,” she said.

While RUSD swiftly acknowledged the incident and commitment to an investigation, she said it is critical to ensure that school staff are present and properly trained to intervene effectively in violent situations, particularly those that have the potential to be racially motivated.

“The district has stated that corrective measures are in place, but further clarity is needed on how staff are prepared to respond in real-time to prevent harm. It is also critical that we pay close attention to the climate on this and all of our campuses across the state to ensure the safety of our children is the top priority,” said Reyes, representing Senate District 29, including Colton.

In similar cases of bullying and assaults, parents try to seek justice through a civil lawsuit or criminal case for damages, or financial compensation for injuries and medical bills.

Another concern of civil rights advocates is whether the Office for Civil Rights can withstand the Trump Administration’s sharp cuts to the Department of Education, which helps protect students in these types of complaints.

Edweek, which provides K-12 policy analysis, reports that the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates recently filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education for OCR as so many discrimination, sexual assault and harassment complaints, are left unresolved under recent national mass education layoffs.

Like the rest of society, the constant barrage of hate rhetoric of recent years may also be contributing to heightened racial tensions between Latinos and Blacks. Typically, Blacks are overwhelmingly targeted for hate crimes more than any other group.

One initiative of The Leadership Conference Education Fund, “Cause for Concern 2024: The State of Hate,” tracked an alarming 90% rise in reported hate crimes during U.S. election cycles since 2014. The report says that hate crimes have nearly doubled since 2015.

“The Trump candidacy empowered white nationalists and provided them with a platform — one they had been seeking with renewed intensity since the historic election of America’s first Black president in 2008. Since 2015, communities across the country have experienced some of the most violent and deadliest years for hate in modern history,” the report said.

To watch the COPE press conference, see
https://www.instagram.com/cope2000_/reel/DHKAZ3Myq79/

Warning, this video contains graphic images:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DHI7qS8pQn4/