Korean American parents at Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles accuse school administrators of doing nothing to protect bullied students.
The Korean Times reports the parents of one of the victims say their introverted son returned from school one night quieter and more subdued than normal. Later, his mother would receive a call from another parent informing her that her child had been assaulted in school. They now believe he is a victim of a racially motivated attack by a group of White students.
“This school claims to provide excellent public education to students from diverse social, economic, cultural, and racial backgrounds, but in reality, it’s a place where group assaults and adult-perpetuated racism occur. The school’s attitude of defending the perpetrators is essentially secondary victimization,” the boy’s father identified only as Mr. Jung said to the Times.
The Korean Daily first reported the attacks quoting accounts posted on social media and describing the victim as a first grader. The attacks occurred over two days. On one of those days, another Korean student was also attacked.
“My child was also assaulted by four white students,” the mother of another child wrote. ”They punched him in the stomach, kicked him, and trapped him in a hula hoop. When he tried to run away, they grabbed him and assaulted him again.”
The parents say the school has done nothing to respond to their concerns for their children’s safety.
“The school hasn’t once inquired about the children’s well-being since the attack,” Mr. Jung stated to Radio Seoul. He says the attacks are being dismissed as just a “fight” between students.
The school has not yet publicly commented about the accusations from the parents.
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