Frisco ISD says six Lone Star High School students face disciplinary action for their alleged involvement in an assault on a special needs student that was recorded. Two teens have already been detained. Students say more needs to be done to promote inclusivity.
Frisco ISD says six Lone Star High School students face disciplinary action for their alleged involvement in an injury to a special needs student.
Frisco police arrested two of the teens who now face injury to a disabled individual, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
Frisco police confirmed to NBC 5 they are reviewing a 17-second cell phone video clip shared on social media that appears to show the incident.
In the video, several boys are seen in a bathroom, one motions to the victim to hit him in the face.
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“They’re trying to make him hit them first,” said Frisco teen Rithik Duvva. “[The victim] threw a slap that didn’t even hit him, and the other student threw a full-fist punch at the special needs student.”
Last year, Duvva, Tanya Sayooj and Amoolya Tadepalli started a project called ‘Aim to Embrace.’ A project to help eliminate stigma surrounding students with intellectual and developmental disabilities at their high school in Frisco and beyond.
They hope to expand their mission of inclusivity statewide.
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“When I first saw the video it sent chills through my body,” said Tadepalli.
The trio has seen the disturbing video circulating online.
They say this case highlights the need to do more.
“It’s anger and for me, it really just fuels more motivation for us to continue our project,” said Sayooj.
NBC 5 asked special education consultant Mike Holum what the video shows him and how the issue should be handled.
“What it illustrates is the vulnerability of children with disabilities inside our public schools,” said Holum.
Holum is not involved with the case, but he believes the incident is an ‘assault.’
He says his advice to this victim’s parents or others facing a similar situation is to request a meeting with the school district.
“Go over the behavioral plan, the IEP and more importantly, the accommodations of that plan,” he said. “Those accommodations at this point going forward are that anytime the student is going to be in an environment where they’re going to be by themselves, that they’re to be supervised.”
Frisco ISD informed Lone Star parents that bathroom entrance doors will now be propped open to allow staff to monitor students while still providing privacy.
The ‘Aim to Embrace’ team says events at their high school that has brought special needs students together with everyone on campus have been successful.
“I think for sure the administration should have some sort of event where the entire school gets together and they sort of educate the students,” said Sayooj. “Talk to students about their disabilities, how they’re the same as us.”
“Show that this student belongs at his school, this student belongs in our community and the student doesn’t deserve what happened to him,” said Duvva.
Frisco police are not investigating the incident as a hate crime at this time.
The department’s spokesman tells NBC 5, as of now, nothing indicates the assault happened ‘as a result of the victim’s disability.’
