WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — Clark County Public Schools are investigating after a video spread online showing a physical altercation involving two students on one of their school buses Tuesday.
A bus full of middle and high school students was heading home Tuesday afternoon when the altercation occurred. The video shows a 17-year-old girl repeatedly hitting a middle school boy.
Kaycee Martin says the 12-year-old boy seen being punched and choked in the video is her son. She said she was already upset when she saw her son's injuries, and then someone showed her the video of what happened.
“When I saw that video, it just broke my heart into pieces,” Martin said. “And I knew immediately – charges.”
LEX 18 is told that the girl in the video was taken into juvenile detention.
The video doesn’t show anything that happened before the punches were thrown, but Martin said that the incident was over a bus seat.
“He said he stuck up for himself,” Martin said. “They were trying to get him to move out of his seat. There was a book bag and jacket in the seat, and someone said their friend was sitting there.”
Martin says the attack sent her son to the hospital.
“He's got severe lacerations on the top of his head. There's eight staples in his head now, along with bruising on his hands from blocking the blows,” Martin said.
It’s an attack she said never should have happened.
“There's no reason whatsoever to put your hands on anybody,” Martin said. “Yet alone somebody you're more than twice the height of, I hope they get the full punishment.”
The video shows another student pushing the 17-year-old girl off the boy.
LEX 18 is told there wasn’t a bus monitor on the bus at the time of the incident.
The school district says they are working with both school and local law enforcement to conduct a full investigation.
"All CCPS students deserve to feel secure and protected, and nothing is more important to us than the safety of our children and staff," the statement reads. "CCPS will not tolerate any form of violence within our community."
The school district says they will take appropriate action once a complete review of information and evidence takes place. CCPS says the action they take will be in accordance with the law, Board of Education policy, and the Student Code of Conduct.
“They're taking it very seriously, and they're going to take things to the full extent that they can take it,” Martin said. “And I'm incredibly thankful for it because this is something that should not have happened.”
