Virginia mom demands action against bullying after son is seen on video being strangled on middle school bus

A Virginia mom is demanding that a middle school take action against a student who was caught on video bullying her 12-year-old son. Video shows the boy being strangled by a girl on a school bus.

Taylor Brock's son is a seventh-grader at Walt Whitman Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia. On Jan. 23, her son was attacked by a girl on a school bus. The one-minute video shows the girl strangling the boy, grabbing his head, and slapping him in the face. The boy does not retaliate.

The bus driver is heard telling the students not to switch seats. The girl went to the boy's seat twice during the bus ride, according to the mother.

Brock said she found out that her son was assaulted when he came home crying, with red bruises on his neck.

Brock told WUSA, "My son came home crying, and I saw the marks on his neck. It breaks my heart that there are all these kids on the bus and not one decided to stand up."

The mother claimed that this was the second time that her son was assaulted and strangled by the same girl. She alleged that the same girl stole a toy from him months prior to the latest attack. Brock said that her son suffered emotional trauma.

The mother said she was provided with the video by a student who recorded the footage. Brock furnished the school with the video and photos of her son's injuries. The school suspended the student.

Brock obtained a two-week protection order from a Fairfax County judge that requires the female student not to come within 50 feet of her son. However, the boy claimed that he passes the girl in the halls of the school and she sits behind him at lunch.

The mom accused the the school of not honoring the protection order by allowing the female student to be near her son. Brock claimed that school officials didn't know she was sitting behind him at lunch.

Brock believes that the suspension was not a strong enough punishment and that the girl should have been expelled.

She said, "This child committed a felony under adult standards and suspension was the 'correct form of discipline'?"

Brock is calling for action against bullying in schools.

"Not only do schools need to give harsher punishments to children who bully, threaten, and assault others, but they also need more preventative measures, like classes on coping skills, overcoming peer pressure, and thinking positively; classes that reinforce how precious and priceless each student is," Brock wrote on her personal website.

"Schools need to be held accountable for inadequately protecting our children," the mother said. "They can't create a safe environment for our kids if they sweep these violent acts under the rug, hoping no one hears about them."

"We must hold schools accountable and I hope that shining a light on this instance, fortunately caught on camera, and on the school's reaction to it, will get parents to speak up and stand together to show the world that things need to change," she continued. "I am heartbroken for all children who endure such traumas. I can't imagine how many instances go unrecorded. If the school is so permissive about this severity of a crime and the evidence of its occurrence, then I have little hope for the uncounted children who roam the halls begging for help. These children are our future. Their lives matter."

A Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson told WUSA, "The school administration handled the situation in line with the student discipline manual (FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities). We are unable to share further information due to federal privacy laws."

According to Virginia law, the school is required to notify the appropriate staff when there is a protective order.

Guidance from the Virginia Department of Education states:

Although schools are not legally responsible for enforcing a court order, school boards are committed to the safety of students. A protective order may bring to light the safety needs of a student, and local policies may include additional guidance on how to support students protected through a court order. Depending on how much time remains until the expiration date of the protective order, schools may have the opportunity to develop a plan to support the safety and well-being of the student in addition to notifying essential staff of the protective order. Upon the timely receipt or notification that a student has a protective order, the principal should offer to collaborate with the parent or legal guardian when there is a need to develop a plan to support the student. A team may be designated to support the student relating to safety planning, which may include how to respond to violations of the court order. The development of such a plan should not delay the initial notification of the provisions of the protective order to appropriate staff; rather, the details of a more comprehensive support plan can be communicated after careful consideration of how to meet the safety needs of the student. Since schools are not responsible for the enforcement of nor serving the protective order, if there are any concerns regarding the enforcement of the protective order or whether it has been served, the principal should contact their local law enforcement agency or SRO.

Brock said her son has been going to therapy since the attack. She plans to transfer her son to another school.

Earlier this month, a 14-year-old girl committed suicide days after she was brutally beaten by a classmate at a New Jersey school. The video of the attack at Central Regional High School in Berkeley Township was posted online. Students held a protest following the death of Adriana Kuch and called on school officials to do more to prevent bullying.

The superintendent resigned after he made shocking allegations about the deceased girl and her family.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

Middle school student being strangled by bully on school buswww.youtube.com

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