Two white Florida high school students face misdemeanor battery and cyberbullying charges after a social media video went viral showing them tripping a black student and then laughing when the girl fell. Although officials confirmed that the accused students at Seabreeze High School were disciplined, an organizer is calling for harsher discipline and alleging that the victim is a special needs student in a web petition signed by more than 48,200 people.
“The special needs African American student will be traumatized for the rest of her life because of this. ...” the organizer who goes by Jasmine said in the petition. “This school needs to properly punish them.” The petitioner alleged that the students were suspended for two days, and she cited information from a flyer posted at the school. “They [the white girls] are both still on their cheerleading team and one of their mothers is going to be the new cheerleading coach,” the flyer alleged. “The only reason they got 2 days of in school suspension is because of their rich parents. The school is trying to cover this up. Don't let them.”
Daytona Beach police said in a media statement posted on Facebook Friday that school officials told a school resource officer about the video shared on the social media platform TikTok January 31. “We have been working with the parents and school since then to address the issue,” police said.
Authorities said parents of the victim initially informed police they did not wish to press charges. “They asked the school to address the issue and ensure that the two perpetrators be held accountable,” police said in the statement. “However, as this investigation has progressed, the parents changed their mind and have now asked us to press charges against the girls. We are currently in the process of doing that with the State Attorney’s Office.”
Volusia County Schools said in a notification sent to parents in the district that “a disturbing nationwide trend” has “touched a few of our schools. Students are creating videos and some ‘social media challenges’ where they are seen physically hurting other students and/or themselves and posting the videos online,” the district said. “Please talk with your student about how dangerous and hurtful this can be. And, please know that participating in these videos will result in disciplinary action.” Spokeswoman Kelly Schulz forwarded the notification to Daily Kos. She also told The Daytona Beach News-Journal the district “investigated and disciplinary action has been taken.”
Daytona Beach police said in the department statement “much of what has been put out on social media regarding this matter is factually incorrect.” “We can confirm that the victim in this case did not suffer or report any injuries during this incident,” police said.