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BELLINGHAM, Wash, – A Bellingham High School student is recovering after being attacked off school grounds by a group of students accused of shouting transphobic slurs.
According to Bellingham police, a sophomore reported an incident on Oct. 22 when he was hit and hit by other students on Cornwall Avenue.
“It took me several days to realize the severity with which my child was beaten because he is transgender,” said Alyssa Ruben, the victim’s mother. “The children who attacked my child should be expelled immediately.”
Ruben said she went to school after the assault and demanded that Bellingham police be contacted to investigate.
“No one says anything, no one knows about it, so they just keep doing what they’re doing with no accountability and that’s the end of it,” she said.
Ruben added that her child still has severe concussion symptoms and has an appointment at Seattle Children’s Hospital for evaluation.
“It’s not over yet and if they suffer a traumatic brain injury, the effects could be lifelong,” she said.
In a letter to parents Monday, Bellingham High School Principal Martin Atkins said the district is limited in what it can share due to the ongoing investigation and privacy concerns.
“We want to assure you that we take all allegations of violence and hateful behavior very seriously,” Atkins’ letter reads. “Instances of hateful speech and behavior are not only unacceptable, but they also have a lasting and harmful impact on our community. We are committed to healing and education to empower and diversify our next generation of leaders. Our policies reflect this commitment and we will continue to implement measures that promote respect, understanding and safety for all students.”
The incident also gained a lot of attention on social media after Ruben posted about it on her TikTok page.
According to Ruben, the video of the attack was found on Instagram by other students and shared with authorities.
“We actually have about 45 seconds of one of the videos taken by one of the attackers,” said Lance Preston, executive director Project “Rainbow Youth”.. “In the few seconds we had, it was horrible, horrible.”
Preston and the Rainbow Youth Project are providing support and assistance to Ruben’s family.
“We are very impressed with the Bellingham Police Department, the detectives there are doing everything in their power to hold these people accountable,” he said. “If we allow these incidents to get out of control, we are essentially making a statement to these young people that it is okay or acceptable. It really makes victims feel worthless, like they don’t matter and their lives don’t matter.”
Bellingham police said the case is still under investigation.