The parents of two Dorsey High School students who were viciously beaten during an after-school attack captured on cellphone video were demanding action Wednesday from the school district and police.
The incident started with a minor classroom dispute involving a third student who allegedly brought three of her friends to class at the Crenshaw-area school on Feb. 23.
The victims, Lauryn Adkins and Jah’nice Brown, told KTLA they informed a substitute teacher about the outside students, who were subsequently removed from the classroom.
As Adkins and Brown were leaving school later that day, they claim a car pulled up carrying relatives of the student whose friends were forced to leave class.
The victims told KTLA the occupants of the car — including the student, her mother, two sisters and a male companion — violently assaulted them behind campus.
“It was such as getting socked in the face, kicked in the face, kicked in the back,” said Jah’nice Brown who suffered a bruised spine.
Adkins, who was rushed to the emergency room, said she lost consciousness on the sidewalk after suffering facial and head injuries from the beating.
“You could see me stumbling,” student Lauryn Adkins told KTLA. “I honestly didn’t know where I was. I would expect for someone to help”
Adkins’ mother Aquanett Brown filed a police report and has since removed her daughter from Dorsey High School.
The alleged aggressor in the fight was also transferred to another school. On Wednesday night, that student’s mother told KTLA that her daughter was actually the victim.
Aside from the physical injuries, Aquanett Brown said the most traumatic part of this ordeal was that the alleged attacker and her family allegedly disseminated the disturbing video on social media.
“Everybody at the school has this video,” Aquanett Brown said. “And they’re laughing making fun of these kids.”
In an email to KTLA, Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Ellen Morgan acknowledged there was a “fight near the school,” but made a point of stating that the fight “did not involve any Dorsey students.”
A second statement was released later in the day by LAUSD spokeswoman Monica Carazo:
The safety and well-being of all District students, staff and our entire school community remains our top priority. This unfortunate incident happened off campus, and while we can’t comment on specific personnel or student matters, the school site administration and law enforcement officials took immediate and appropriate action with all parties involved.