Elementary school bullying caught on video, Inglewood mother demands answers
Girl attacked at Inglewood elementary school
An attack caught on camera at an Inglewood elementary school allegedly shows girls bullying another girl. A mother says this wasn't the first time her daughter was attacked.
INGLEWOOD, CA - A mother is speaking out, bringing attention to the bullying her daughters have encountered at school.
What we know:
The child's mother shared video with FOX 11 of a recent fight that occurred at Woodworth-Monroe Academy in Inglewood.
The disturbing video shows a 10-year-old student cowering in the corner of the bathroom, as a group of girls taunt her. Eventually, another little girl starts pulling her hair and beating her, as others cheer and record the incident on video.
The April 30th incident is not the first bullying incident, the 10-year-old girl's mom, Beatriz Hernandez, said. She told FOX 11 that her children have been targeted ever since their dad passed away from a heart attack at work three years ago.
"Ever since my husband passed they've been getting bullied, telling them ‘oh your dad died hahaha’. It's so funny for them," Hernandez said.
Hernandez showed FOX 11 a report filed with Inglewood Unified School Police from December 2023 reporting bullying against her daughters.
According to the report, one girl was forced to eat hot chili peppers. The report also detailed an incident in which the girls had milk and water thrown onto them while walking with their grandma.
The April 30th incident happened at the end of the school day. The 10-year-old had run into the bathroom while her two siblings and their grandmother waited outside the school to head home. That's when she ran into the group of kids waiting for her.
"My daughter was being dragged, she was literally being dragged," said Beatriz Hernandez. "Even though it's another little girl, it's still bad. How did it get this bad where the school didn't know anything about it when I went to them multiple times about my daughters being bullied."
That's apparently the same group of kids who threw milk at her.
In this recent incident, Hernandez' daughter was suspended for being "involved in a fight". We were not told by school officials if the other girls received any kind of punishment.
The other side:
In two statements to FOX 11, school officials said the latest incident is being investigated.
The Inglewood Unified School District released the following statements, "On Wednesday, April 30th, a student-related incident occurred after school hours at Woodworth-Monroe School. The Inglewood Unified School District is aware of the situation and is currently investigating the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures. Ensuring a safe and supportive environment for every student is our highest priority. We take all incidents seriously and remain committed to addressing concerns with care and diligence to uphold the well-being and integrity of our school community. At the Inglewood Unified School District, we remain committed to fostering safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive. Our District works in close partnership with school sites to ensure staff have the training, tools, and resources needed to address student behavior through a lens of support, equity, and growth. We recognize the importance of working hand-in-hand with our students and families to understand and respond to behavioral challenges. Through proactive strategies, positive reinforcement, and restorative practices, we strive to build a positive school climate and culture that promotes respect, responsibility, and academic success."
Dig deeper:
Emily Ruby, with Greenberg & Ruby, a firm that handles legal cases dealing with school bullying, says she is seeing younger and younger children involved in bullying incidents, where there seems to be a sense that nothing will happen to them.
She is also seeing that in more cases, it's putting the videos on social media that's behind the incidents.
But California law is stronger than the rest of the country, thanks partially to Seth's law which in 2012 required public schools to update their anti-bullying policies and programs, with a focus on protecting students who are bullied.
Hernandez said she is tired of going to school police and has filed a report with Inglewood Police.