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A Maryland mother is demanding criminal charges against a group of students who allegedly ambushed her 14-year-old daughter on the way to cheerleading practice last week, leaving the girl with a broken nose and other serious injuries.
Juanita Caldwell says her daughter, Kayla Caldwell, was attacked on Dec. 5 by students at Potomac High School in Oxon Hill, where witnesses recorded the assault with cellphones.
A rally was held at the school on Monday to support the victim and urge the Prince George’s County State Attorney’s Office to file charges in the case.
Caldwell stated that six students involved in the assault have been suspended, but she believes a seventh participant has yet to be held accountable. The Prince George’s County School District, citing FERPA privacy laws, confirmed that “appropriate disciplinary action was taken” but declined to provide further details.
Caldwell said her daughter was attacked twice, with the second assault occurring shortly after the first brawl was broken up.
Video of the incident shows Kayla being punched in the head while on the floor of a closet. Caldwell said her daughter was lying on the floor of the closet for 30 minutes until a cheerleading coach found her.
“My daughter had a knot on the left side of her face,” Caldwell said, according to CBS affiliate WUSA9. “On the right side, her eye and nose were, like, collectively swollen together. Maybe, like, just smushed in together. It was blood all over her face; blood all over her jacket.”
Potomac High School security acted swiftly and broke up the fight, but the damage was done — Kayla was rushed to the hospital with a broken nose, broken hand and extensive bruises.
Following the melee, the school district emphasized student safety and stated that disciplinary action was taken.
“The safety of students is our top priority,” the PGCPS statement read. “On December 5, an incident of fighting at Potomac High School resulted in injuries to a student. Our Safety and Security personnel immediately responded and worked with school staff to conduct an investigation. Administrators were in contact with the student’s family throughout the process, and appropriate disciplinary action was taken as outlined in our Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.”
However, Juanita Caldwell said she doesn’t feel safe letting her daughter go back to school.
“No charges have been brought against these children and I want them arrested immediately,” she said.
Caldwell also voiced frustration that no arrests had been made given the severity of her daughter’s injuries, calling the attack on Kayla premeditated due to prior altercations with the same group of perpetrators, including an incident at another school.
“This is not a random act,” Caldwell said. “The ringleader punched my child at Thurgood Marshall [Middle School]. This is not a random act.”
She warned that failing to enforce consequences would only encourage further violence among students.
“The kids at Potomac High School will not learn from this incident unless something happens, something with the criminal system, happens now,” the mother said. “They need to understand that without consequences, if you get a slap on the wrist for this, the next time you’re gonna kill somebody’s child.”
The Department of Juvenile Services is currently reviewing the case, and while bringing criminal charges may be challenging, it remains a possibility, officials said. Authorities were seemingly letting the school handle the matter internally, with no indication that charges would be filed.
On Monday, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy spoke with Caldwell’s family about Kayla’s assault, calling the conversation “devastating,” and has since contacted the Department of Juvenile Services to explore how her office can assist.
“We have indicated that we would like to receive that case because it is critically important that our schools are safe and that a strong message is sent to anyone that wants to hurt others if you do it at our schools, we are going to hold you accountable,” Braveboy said.
Braveboy also voiced frustration over not being informed earlier about the fight, revealing she only became aware of the incident when it appeared on TV news.
“Being notified through the media is not an appropriate way for law enforcement to be notified of issues that occur at a school,” she said.
Braveboy is urging state lawmakers to push for reforms that would hold juvenile offenders accountable for acts of violence like this.
Meanwhile, Juanita Caldwell’s main concern is her daughter’s safety, especially as her attackers live nearby.
“The person who attacked her lives right in the next complex,” Juanita Caldwell said. “Even if they’re expelled from school, they could walk around here and attack my child at any time. My child could be going to a trash can, my child could be going outside to the ice cream truck, and they can attack my child, and that’s the reason why I want the arrests, and I want them now.”
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