100 Percent Fed Up Report – The mother of a middle school boy is speaking out after her son was choked by a much older female student on a school bus, and the school refused to handle the situation appropriately.
On January 23, Taylor Brock’s son was on a school bus when a female student approached and assaulted him, putting her hands around his neck and choking him. The event was captured on video – as are most things these days.
Fort Belvoir, Va.: Taylor Brock posted video of her son choking on a school bus on Jan. 23. He is now sharing the video because he says @W_WhitmanMS Alexandria Middle School is inadequate for their response. https://t.co/M7xLE3z5rN pic.twitter.com/UzhZ6pYODn
— Andy Ngo ️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) February 16, 2023
After her son’s school, Walt Whitman Middle School in Virginia, failed to take appropriate disciplinary action against the assailant; Brock decided to share the video and post his story for all to see.
She posted the story on her website, saying she “didn’t really realize how bad” the bullying had been until she came home crying from school with a red welt on her son’s neck.
Brock went straight to the school with video and pictures of his son’s throat, hoping the school would ferret out the assailant. However, he was horrified to learn that the girl had returned to school after a short suspension.
The mother went to court and got a two-week protection order for her son that said the girl must stay at least 50 feet away from her son at all times. He served the order at school, yet he found out the girl was still walking past his son in the hallway and deliberately sat behind him at lunch knowing there was a protective order in place.
Neither the girl nor the school seems to be taking the court order seriously.
“The school’s response to my son being assaulted and choked to death is a perfect example of how callous the school is to violence,” Brock wrote.
After Brock began speaking out about the bullying incident, other parents at the school reached out to him, saying their own children had been bullied, but the school had done nothing to stop it.
Brock also learned that the girl who assaulted his son was known for being a bully in middle school but mostly bullied his son because “he’s an easy target because he’s one of the smallest and skinniest kids in his grade.”
The next step Brock took to protect his son was to get a two-year protection order. When presenting the evidence to the judge, he asked if the girl was still in school. When Brock said he did, the judge was very confused and questioned why the school didn’t take further action given the severity of the crime.
“The school has a video of the crime and a protective order and they still believed the suspension was enough to keep my child safe,” Brock said.
UPDATE: (via WUSA-TV quote):
According to Virginia law, schools must notify required personnel if there is a protective order.
A guideline from the Virginia Department of Education says that while schools are not legally responsible for enforcing court orders, safety should be a priority. Officers can develop a safety plan, principals can collaborate with parents, and a team can determine action if the order is violated.
Fairfax County Public Schools acknowledged the incident and released this statement:
“The school administration handled the situation in accordance with the student discipline manual (FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities),” an FCPS spokesperson said. “We are unable to share further information due to federal privacy laws.”
Brock said VDOE reached out to him about the incident.
She plans to move her son to another school as he continues therapy.