GASTONIA, N.C. — Parents are protesting after seeing a disturbing and violent video showing the moment a student hit a classmate with special needs, knocking them out of their chair.
They say the attack happened Tuesday at Ashbrook High School in Gastonia.
Since the video has been circulating, there is a push from parents to get cameras in the district’s classrooms.
Brittany Wheeling has a son with autism who she is enrolling in kindergarten and said the video is extremely disturbing.
“Physically assault him again and again while … while children laughed,” Wheeling said. “That concerns me that my son is going to be left unattended, neglected, abused, bullied.”
Wheeling and her son were part of the small protest Thursday at the school administration building.
Brittany Parton was also there for the protest. She said her son has mental health issues.
“They are targets for bullies,” Parton said. “He tried to kill himself to prevent the bullying.”
Teresa MacFarlane organized the demonstration and is an advocate for students with special needs.
“The citizens of Gaston County are not OK with bullying, and we’re not OK with what happened,” MacFarlane said.
She has a petition demanding cameras in every classroom, and supporters believe it will prevent violence.
“So, we can know exactly what happened and so that we can hold people accountable,” Wheeling said.
Channel 9 has been reaching out to the school district since Wednesday.
MacFarlane plans to take her petition to the next school board meeting and ask for cameras in classrooms.
Meanwhile, police are continuing their investigation into the attack caught on cellphone video.
VIDEO: Video of student attacking classmate at Ashbrook High under investigation
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