Naperville parents speaking out after video shows 13-year-old son repeatedly punched on bus
The parents of a 13-year-old Naperville boy are speaking out after a video emerged showing their son, a seventh-grader at Scullen Middle School, being repeatedly punched by another student while seated on a school bus.
Ali Abouimrane, the father of the teen, said Thursday that his family has contacted the Naperville Police Department about the episode that occurred on Oct. 27, his son's birthday, and they've hired a lawyer to investigate potential negligence by school officials.
He also wants to know if proper bullying procedures were followed by the school and Indian Prairie Unit District 204 to ensure similar incidents don't happen again.
District 204 officials did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday, but Scullen Principal Scott Loughrige issued a statement to the school community on Wednesday acknowledging awareness of the video circulating on social media and saying protocols were being followed, including with police.
Abouimrane said the event happened after school in the Scullen parking lot when a girl wanted another boy to slam his son's face against the bus window. According to Abouimrane, his son took candy from the girl to get her to tell the other boy not to hurt him.
The video shows the other boy standing in the row in front of Abouimrane's son and repeatedly punching him. At one point, the other boy puts his hands around Abouimrane son's neck and holds both his wrists.
Abouimrane said his wife received a phone call from school officials that their son had been in a fight. Even though the parents believe their son was a victim of bullying, Abouimrane said their son and the other boy received the same one-day in-school suspension.
Abouimrane said the girl and a third boy involved were not disciplined.
"We are horrified with what happened," Abouimrane said. "You don't expect this kind of physical violence, especially because he doesn't even know these kids."
Abouimrane said they haven't received a sufficient response from school officials in the wake of the video's emergence after an anonymous source sent it to the family.
Loughrige's statement said "Scullen Middle School takes incidents such as these very seriously."
"The administration immediately removed students from the bus and investigated the situation. Due to student privacy, we cannot share student disciplinary measures. However, appropriate action, including the involvement of the Naperville Police Department, has taken place in accordance with our school board policies."
The Naperville Police Department confirmed an investigation, but no charges have been filed. No further information was provided because minors are involved.
Abouimrane said his son remains in school and no other incidents have occurred since Oct. 27.
"We really need to see if the school followed the process of bullying because this could happen to any kid," Abouimrane said. "We don't want what happened to my son to happen to others."