Mom: My 1st Grader Was Attacked By 8th Graders At Queens School For Refusing To Join Fight Club
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York City mother claims a group of eighth graders assaulted her 6-year-old daughter, Taniya Jules, when she refused to join their public school fight club.
Latoya Gore says two other first graders and a boy were victimized by the four girls who were supposed to be tutoring them at P.S. 111/Jacob Blackwell School in Long Island City, Queens, on March 10.
Gore said a school nurse called and told her Taniya was playing and had hit her head on a desk.
Mother Claims Her 1st Grader Was Attacked By Older Students At P.S. 111 In Queens
"I didn't see a bump on her head, but she was complaining her head was hurting," Gore said. "Since that day happened, she had been complaining her head was bothering her."
"Words can't explain," Gore said. "I'm just upset. I'm hurt."
The incident, which took place during school hours, was caught on videotape.
"There's one older girl who snatches my daughter from underneath the crowd and throws her," Tisha Morris said, the mother of a first grader claiming to have been beaten.
"They were being forced, coerced, threatened, cajoled into fighting each other and when they didn't want to do that, that's when the eighth grader started dragging hitting and swinging them," attorney Pamela Roth said.
Attorney Scott Rynecki said the children were thrown up against a wall and had their hair pulled out by the older students and that there was no adult supervision.
Mother Claims Her 1st Grader Was Attacked By Older Students At P.S. 111 In Queens
Rynecki and Gore are now planning to sue the city and the Department of Education for $5.5 million, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported.
"I think all the parents have a question: Where is the supervision in this school?" Ryneck said.
"There was an attempt to cover up the incident," he added.
"We pledge to these families and children that we will hold accountable anyone who put children in harm's way," Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina said in a statement.
But as CBS2's Steve Langford reported, one parent said the video prompter her child into school, where she said she was told to get out.
"A school safety person came over like, 'You guys can't stay here, you have to leave.' And I told them I'm actually concerned for my children and their safety," school parent Jenelle Jones said.
The Department of Education said extra security has been assigned to the school and the department's central staff has been here daily to provide additional support.
DOE spokesman Jason Fink said what was depicted in the video "is completely unacceptable.'' He said the matter has been referred to the special commissioner of investigation. The teachers responsible for the students have been removed from the classroom pending the investigation.
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