Posted on February 3, 2023

Homestead Mother Pressing Charges After Third Grade Daughter Beaten on School Bus

Annaliese Garcia et al., WPLG, February 2, 2023

A South Florida mother says she is pressing charges against the children who were captured on camera beating her 9-year-old daughter on the school bus.

The mother says her daughter is a third grade student at Coconut Palm K-8 Academy in Homestead.

“I got sent the video of my daughter getting attacked by an older kid,” the mother, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Local 10 News.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials confirmed they responded to the incident around 4:10 p.m. Wednesday in the area of 24400 SW 124th Ave. Officials said they assessed two children for injuries, who were then released to their parents.

The video shows a group of children onboard a school bus arguing one minute – the next minute, a student is seen punching the young girl repeatedly

A second student then jumps in and pummels the girl, as well. Both students appear to be boys.

“All ages are on that bus and it’s overfilled,” the mother said. “It’s very crazy because there’s all this yelling going on in the bus and the two adults on the bus – the bus (driver) and the bus aide, only sit in the front.”

“I’m very upset and disappointed in the response that children now take matters into their own hands with violence,” another mother told Local 10 News outside the school Thursday morning. {snip}

The victim’s mother told Local 10 News that her daughter and two other children – a 10-year-old boy and a 7-year-old boy – have only been attending the school since Jan. 9.

She said she has spoken to administration about bullying since it’s affected her two eldest children, but she says the principal, assistant principal and even a counselor have done nothing about it, with the principal telling her they are overwhelmed and advising her to withdraw her children from the school.

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The woman says she fears someone could get seriously hurt or even killed if this continues.

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