Long Island family suing high school after girl attacked in hallway
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (PIX11) — A Long Island father is speaking out after his daughter was attacked in the hallway of Central Islip Senior High School and ended up missing several days of school. The student’s family is now suing the high school and calling for more school security across Long Island after a wave of violent incidents.
The victim's family and attorney want their lawsuit to send a message to Central Islip and schools across Long Island that this type of violence should not happen inside schools. The ninth grader was attacked from behind in the hallway while changing classes. The attack was recorded and then posted to Snapchat for hundreds of students to see.
"She was punched repeatedly in the head and pulled to the ground, beaten again on the ground. And finally, after she was bloody, her nose was bloodied, she was able to get up and she run away,” said attorney Kenneth Mollins.
The victim's father said his daughter broke up a fight the day before and was attacked in revenge for being the peacemaker.
"She’s supposed to be going to school to learn to get an education, not to be attacked, assaulted from behind," said Ezra Hoyt, the girl's father.
Hoyt's daughter has been learning remotely online since the March 17 attack.
"I don’t want to send my daughter to school because potentially the same thing could happen. Or I may just get a phone call one day saying saying my daughter is dead in that school environment. I can't be there to protect her," Hoyt said.
Both Mollins in Hoyt said that no adults helped stop the attack.
"The school safety plan calls for hall monitors, calls for school security, calls for teachers, calls for teacher aides all to be monitoring the halls to prevent exactly what happened. And if you look in the video, there’s nobody anywhere nearby to help this young lady," said Mollins.
Suffolk County police arrested a 14-year-old girl for the attack.
The school district is not commenting on pending litigation.