A concerned mother is speaking out after cellphone video surfaced of two Broward County middle school students savagely beating her son on a school bus.
The incident took place in Davie last Thursday, when two Driftwood Middle School students physically attacked 15-year-old Anthony, a seventh grader at the same school, while riding on a school bus as part of a public dispute, according to Broward County Public Schools.
Maribel Piza, an attorney representing Anthony’s family, spoke with 7News on Tuesday about Thursday’s attack.
“[They treated Anthony] kind of like a punching bag, and punches and punches him and punches him,” she said.
The cellphone video shows Anthony being pummeled over and over by two other boys while other students appeared to be cheering and a boy recorded video on his phone.
The beating was so severe bus driver pulled over near Davie Road north of Stirling Road and called police.
Paramedics arrived at the scene and assessed the victim before releasing him.
Tuesday evening, 7News spoke with the boy’s mother, Deysi Gonzalez, through an interpreter.
“When I went to see him, I got to the ambulance, and my son was bleeding from his nose, his face was swollen,” she said. “The truth is, it hurts me a lot to see and remember that, because it’s terrible. I can’t believe how the children did that to my son.
Gonzalez shared pictures of the injuries her son suffered. The photos show his nose is seen pushed to one side, aswell as bruises and swelling on his head.
A screengrab from the video shows blood on Anthony’s wrist.
“He was bleeding profusely. It’s horrific, it’s very graphic, and it was – it’s very emotional,” said Piza.
Anthony was not transported to the hospital that day. His mother took him home.
Anthony and his mother, originally from Guatemala, have only been in the United States since December. According to the boy, the attack on the bus was completely uinexpected.
“I want the parents to be aware of their children, of the harm they are doing, the harm they caused to my son, emotionally as well,” said Gonzalez.
Piza said the two assailants have been suspended for nine days, but she and her client’s family are not convinced that’s enough.
“The two gentlemen that attacked him ought to be expelled,” said Piza.
Gonzalez said they boys who attcked her son were simply cruel.
“No mother would like to see her son like that, suffering. No mother wants that for her son,” she said.
In a statement, a BCPS spokesperson wrote:
“The two students responsible for the incident have received appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the District’s Code Book for Student Conduct. We defer to law enforcement for additional information.”
A spokesperson for Davie Police said a report was taken, but they have not yet seen the cellphone video.