Classmates at Granada Hills Charter High School on Monday watched in horror as a female student with special needs was brutally beaten during class by another student, a male senior at the high school.
The student-on-student attack happened in Mr. Blanco’s fourth period Spanish class.
“She had gotten up and you could see her whole cheek was open,” a student witness who did not want to be identified told KTLA. “Her whole face was just bloody.”
The teen victim’s adult aide and the classroom teacher allegedly did nothing to stop the incident or intervene quickly enough.
“I know some people are asking ‘Why didn’t two grown men do anything to help?’” the student witness said. “I understand the teachers can get in trouble for touching students, but when you’re seeing something like that, like a girl beaten so brutally, like someone has to step in.”
As the teenage girl left the room with broken teeth, witnesses said she left behind pools of blood.
The senior male was arrested Tuesday morning.
Letters were sent out to parents saying counselors would be on hand to help traumatized students who witnessed the incident, but some parents said they were alarmed that more wasn’t done to keep the students safe.
“I am concerned kids can pick that class to go fight as the teacher won’t do anything,” said the parent of the student witness. “They already know he didn’t do anything the first time. It can happen again.”
After KTLA reached out to the school for comment, Granada Hills Charter released a statement that read in part:
“GHC has the highest expectations for student conduct and has no tolerance for violence of any kind, as well as any form of bullying or harassment. [The school] maintains strict and proactive safety measures, which include a safe and closed campus, two full-time School Police Officers, a robust security staff, and a highly trained support staff of counselors, social workers, and deans.”
The student who spoke with KTLA, though, said more could have been done.
“It could have definitely been prevented,” the student told KTLA. “Because the teacher had enough time to get in front of both students and say stop.”
