A 14-year-old girl was jumped and beaten on her way to cheerleading practice at her Maryland high school last week, her mother told News4.
Juanita Caldwell alleges that a group of classmates at Potomac High School in Oxon Hill assaulted her daughter.
“My daughter had a knot on the left side of her face,” Caldwell said. “On the right side, her eye and nose were, like, collectively swollen together. Maybe, like, just smooshed in together. It was blood all over her face; blood all over her jacket.”
Students who witnessed the attack captured some of it on their iPhones.
Potomac High School security responded and dispersed the students, according to officials of Prince George’s County Public Schools.
However, Caldwell claims her daughter jumped again near a utility room shortly after, causing injuries that necessitated her being brought to the hospital.
Caldwell said the situation has worsened since learning this week that the youngsters implicated are still at school.
“I want Potomac High School to expel these students for viciously attacking my child,” she said.
Authorities from PGCPS acknowledged that a student sustained injuries at Potomac High last week. They stated that juvenile privacy regulations limit their ability to provide information.
“School district administrators are in contact with the student’s family, and we are working to provide any necessary mental health support to the victim,” PGPCS said in a statement. “The incident is under active investigation.”
Despite the fact that her daughter enjoys her lessons and activities at Potomac, Caldwell does not feel comfortable allowing her to return.
“Even the day of the attack while she’s in the hospital, she’s asking the doctor when she’s going to be able to go back to cheerleading practice,” she said.
Friends and family of the 14-year-old intend to demonstrate their support for her at school Monday morning.
The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office has contacted Caldwell, but she is uncertain if the students involved will face criminal charges.