A blatantly racist attack on four white children – in which the non-white assailants hurled racial taunts and slurs at the victims – has rocked a South Florida middle school and at least one parent said the school doesn’t appear to want to do much about it.
Five students now face battery and hate crime charges after police say they attacked the white students.
Coconut Creek police said the four white children are between 11 and 12 years old. They were reportedly attacked on March 9 at a community center where children gather before the first bell at Lyons Creek Middle School in Broward County. During the attack the non-white children were heard to yell “it’s opposite day” and “brown power” while landing punches and kicks.
The father of one of the victims told WSVN his son had been beaten with sticks and a cable as well.
“He’s scared to go back to school around the same kids in the hallways,” said Frank Foster. “The options are to go to a different school and run away or be in the same school with the same kids again.”
The school made a recorded call to parents in which the principal said she is aware of the incident and is working with police.
“We are disappointed to take law enforcement action in response to a racially-motivated crime by school-aged children within the city of Coconut Creek,” read a statement by Police Chief Butch Arenal. “This is an extremely rare occurrence in our community, but these are children, and as such, poor judgment can occur.”
“It’s concerning what’s going on in the school and they don’t really seem to be doing much about it. The steps they take don’t really protect the kids,” Foster told WSVN. “… It’s going to push kids to the next level to where something they’re not going to be able to come back from.”
The five children who were arrested are between 11 and 15, and police reports list them as both black and white. Most have Hispanic surnames.
