A video posted to Facebook has lots of Union County, Mississippi residents talking. The clip shows a special needs student being punched by another student in the East Union High School gym. The victim’s parents only found out about what happened in the gym after the video was posted.
“I was just appalled by what we saw,” Brain Randle, the father of the child who was hit, said. Someone even laughed as the student was punched. Randle says the incident will leave a lasting impression.
“Especially with a child like ours, this is something that will carry on with him for the rest of his life. This is not something that will not go away,” he said.
Randle said his child did not understand exactly what happened, and was told by other teens it was a practical joke. He didn’t tell his parents anything until the video surfaced.
“We asked him if it happened. He said that he didn’t tell us because he was afraid that he might be in trouble,” Randle said. “My child comes home all the time saying he’s been picked on and bullied on,” he added.
“We hate that this happened, and of course we did take it very seriously,” Ken Basil, the Union County School District superintendent said. “The incident was investigated, and we have disciplined the students involved. We’re done with it.”
Randle said he was told the teen who took the video and the teen who threw the punch were suspended for five days. For him, that was not enough. He filed a report with the Union County Sheriff’s Department.
Randle said his family plans to take the matter up again at the next school board meeting.