BELLEVILLE, IL (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Parents in the Belleville School district descended upon the school board meeting Wednesday looking for answers. They want to know why two students beat a third kid on a school bus bound for Belleville West High School Monday, and they want to know what the district is doing to prevent it from happening again.
The meeting was scheduled to address an unrelated disciplinary issue, but parents of four Belleville West students came looking to speak, and demanding answers. All four seem somewhat satisfied that a "no tolerance" policy espoused by the district is being followed.
Almost as appalling as the attack on a 17-year-old Belleville West High School student on his school bus Monday morning, is that no one board came to the victim's aid. The Belleville superintendent is praising one young man who stepped in to help, only after the victim took a second beating at the hands of a classmate. "I think it was completely wrong," says Steve Raines, 16, a junior who was praised by his superintendent and principal.
The entire attack was taped by a surveillance camera on board the bus. It shows the 17-year-old victim looking for a place to sit, but being told by several students he could not sit next to them. He finally shoved a backpack aside, and took a seat. Seconds later the young man he sat next to punched and choked him. The attack lasted about 15 seconds.
Raines was a few rows behind the attack. He did not try to stop that one. Several students stood around laughing and pointing. Some of them eventually did pull the boys apart. One even took a picture of the victim's bloodied face with his cell phone.
One of the boys who admits he was laughing is D'Vante Lott, who says he is now suspended from school for his actions, "Every kid in high school will laugh. If you see a fight, every kid will laugh," he says. "It's like adrenaline. We laugh when we see a kid getting beaten up."
Lott's mother, Shenico Greer, says she was disgusted by what happened to the victim. She says she does not condone her son's laughter, but believes he should not be suspended.
"Everybody on that bus was mostly laughing and standing up," she says. "I was disgusted. I had a long talk with him. Clearly it was wrong."
Four minutes after the first attack, a second boy began punching the same victim. That is when Raines stepped in. He came from his seat a few rows back and physically held the attacker back. Twice.
"I was like just chill out, chill out, chill out," he says. "I was like I don't know why you're messing with the dude because you know he's not going to do anything back. I was like quit. You have no reason to keep attacking him, so we need to chill out."
The victim does not appear to have thrown any punches back.
"I'm not going to lie. Usually I wouldn't break it up. I don't get involved," says Raines, "but the kid wasn't trying to defend himself or do anything, so I just didn't want him to keep getting hit and stuff."
Monday afternoon Belleville Police said they suspected the attack was racially motivated, the victim is white. The suspects are 14 and 15 year old African American boys. Tuesday, police did not return repeated phone calls from Fox 2 but they told Belleville News Democrat reporters race was not a factor. They said it was a case of bullying.
The school system confirms the two boys who threw punches are suspended pending hearings. Expulsion is possible. While superintendent Dr. Greg Moats would not confirm how many students were punished, Greer said she believed a total of five to seven students, including her son and the two attackers, were suspended.
Moats says the victim is recovering. "My understanding is that he would just like to have a normal school day and go back to the way things were. But its going to be hard for him and everybody for a while."
"I was appalled at the situation," he says.
The bus driver is off the road while the company reviews his actions. He repeatedly yelled at the students on board to sit down, but he did not stop the bus.
Police did not turn their case over to the St. Clair County State's Attorney Tuesday. Bob Haida says his office will decide if the suspects should face punishment through the juvenile court system.
Moats says the school board will take strong disciplinary action.
"Clearly we cannot control every student's actions, but we can control our response. Our board of education is very strong. They've never tolerated this type of activity, nor will they tolerate it now," Moats says.
The meeting was scheduled to address an unrelated disciplinary issue, but parents of four Belleville West students came looking to speak, and demanding answers. All four seem somewhat satisfied that a "no tolerance" policy espoused by the district is being followed.
Almost as appalling as the attack on a 17-year-old Belleville West High School student on his school bus Monday morning, is that no one board came to the victim's aid. The Belleville superintendent is praising one young man who stepped in to help, only after the victim took a second beating at the hands of a classmate. "I think it was completely wrong," says Steve Raines, 16, a junior who was praised by his superintendent and principal.
The entire attack was taped by a surveillance camera on board the bus. It shows the 17-year-old victim looking for a place to sit, but being told by several students he could not sit next to them. He finally shoved a backpack aside, and took a seat. Seconds later the young man he sat next to punched and choked him. The attack lasted about 15 seconds.
Raines was a few rows behind the attack. He did not try to stop that one. Several students stood around laughing and pointing. Some of them eventually did pull the boys apart. One even took a picture of the victim's bloodied face with his cell phone.
One of the boys who admits he was laughing is D'Vante Lott, who says he is now suspended from school for his actions, "Every kid in high school will laugh. If you see a fight, every kid will laugh," he says. "It's like adrenaline. We laugh when we see a kid getting beaten up."
Lott's mother, Shenico Greer, says she was disgusted by what happened to the victim. She says she does not condone her son's laughter, but believes he should not be suspended.
"Everybody on that bus was mostly laughing and standing up," she says. "I was disgusted. I had a long talk with him. Clearly it was wrong."
Four minutes after the first attack, a second boy began punching the same victim. That is when Raines stepped in. He came from his seat a few rows back and physically held the attacker back. Twice.
"I was like just chill out, chill out, chill out," he says. "I was like I don't know why you're messing with the dude because you know he's not going to do anything back. I was like quit. You have no reason to keep attacking him, so we need to chill out."
The victim does not appear to have thrown any punches back.
"I'm not going to lie. Usually I wouldn't break it up. I don't get involved," says Raines, "but the kid wasn't trying to defend himself or do anything, so I just didn't want him to keep getting hit and stuff."
Monday afternoon Belleville Police said they suspected the attack was racially motivated, the victim is white. The suspects are 14 and 15 year old African American boys. Tuesday, police did not return repeated phone calls from Fox 2 but they told Belleville News Democrat reporters race was not a factor. They said it was a case of bullying.
The school system confirms the two boys who threw punches are suspended pending hearings. Expulsion is possible. While superintendent Dr. Greg Moats would not confirm how many students were punished, Greer said she believed a total of five to seven students, including her son and the two attackers, were suspended.
Moats says the victim is recovering. "My understanding is that he would just like to have a normal school day and go back to the way things were. But its going to be hard for him and everybody for a while."
"I was appalled at the situation," he says.
The bus driver is off the road while the company reviews his actions. He repeatedly yelled at the students on board to sit down, but he did not stop the bus.
Police did not turn their case over to the St. Clair County State's Attorney Tuesday. Bob Haida says his office will decide if the suspects should face punishment through the juvenile court system.
Moats says the school board will take strong disciplinary action.
"Clearly we cannot control every student's actions, but we can control our response. Our board of education is very strong. They've never tolerated this type of activity, nor will they tolerate it now," Moats says.
