A high school senior has been expelled after sharing footage online of a fight that erupted in her classroom—meaning she'll miss her graduation ceremony and her prom.
Zoey, who requested she only be identified by her first name, had been looking forward to celebrating as she faced a bright future after winning a $19,000 university scholarship to help fund her dream of becoming a lawyer. But the 17-year-old will now be forced to stay home from Ayala High School in Chino Hills, California, after exposing the violence she witnessed there and being accused of "cyberbullying" herself.
The problem of inter-student violence in schools has been the subject of much debate across the U.S. recently, after the death of a Las Vegas schoolboy in Nevada in November and a chemical attack on an 11-year-old schoolgirl in Detroit, Michigan, in July. One in five students reports being bullied in the U.S., according to 2019 data from the National Center for Educational Statistics. More boys than girls report being physically bullied, while more girls said they're the subjects of psychological abuse, according to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.
In an interview with local news station KCBS, distributed to other outlets across the country via CNN Newsource, Zoey said she had instinctively livestreamed the fight and hadn't thought through the consequences of her actions.
"In our generation, you go live to do makeup, to do everything, so it was just going live just to go live. It wasn't my intent to purposely try to cause harm to anyone," she said. It was "just more of an impulsive thing," she added. "It was bad judgment on my part."
The teen had already bought a glamorous prom dress and taken her graduation photos, she said, but is now devastated that she can't attend either her prom or walk in her commencement ceremony with her friends.
An official expulsion letter from the school board, seen by the broadcaster, accuses Zoey of violating several education codes, including cyberbullying, intimidation, harassment, and attempting to cause physical injury to another person.
Her mom, who was not identified on camera, said: "It was very hurtful to me to hear these things said about her, knowing who she is, and the integrity that she has." She confirmed the district had issued a student/parent handbook that outlines its rules of conduct and potential disciplinary actions. "We did sign the document," she said, "but so did the other student who got in a fight in the classroom—and he gets to walk."
Zoey said she had apologized profusely to the school board in the hope they would suspend her rather than issue an expulsion. But she told the broadcaster: "Everyone was working against me—the whole Chino Valley Unified School District—and they knew that they wanted to make an example out of me, and that's what they did."
Newsweek emailed the Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) seeking further information and comment about the case and Zoey's allegations they were biased against her. Newsweek also requested a statement about the violence that Zoey filmed in class and asked whether any disciplinary action was taken against those involved.
A spokesperson for the CVUSD said that some information being reported about the story "is either inaccurate or incomplete." But she added: "Unfortunately, neither I nor the District are at liberty to share information regarding events that include CVUSD students[...] While I greatly appreciate you reaching out and asking for clarification, I am unable to provide any additional information.
"I would like to stress that the District is heavily committed to the safety and well-being of all its students and has therefore adopted and maintained board policies and administrative regulations consistent with current state and federal educational codes that provide a safe and positive learning environment for its scholars.
"I am grateful for the outstanding staff that thoroughly invest in promoting a supportive and positive school environment conducive to student learning and that prepares students for responsible citizenship by fostering self-discipline and personal responsibility."
Update 5/14/24 12:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include a statement from the Chino Valley Unified School District.
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Get in touch with Chloe Mayer by emailing c.mayer@newsweek.com
