Parents of two girls who were targeted for a video attack outside their gym lockers say the video should be used as evidence of a crime, and the students involved should be charged.
The video was taken inside Wood Intermediate in Davenport on Monday, March 14, 2016. It shows 13-year-old Zoey Miles being grabbed by the hair and punched, while someone else records the incident with a cell phone. A friend of Miles intervenes, and is beaten down by two girls.
The video wound up on Facebook, and that's how Zoey's parents found out about it.
"I had to find out on Facebook that my kid had been beaten up at school," said Michael Miles of Davenport.
"My daughter was never given medical attention, the cops were never called, they weren't allowed to call home on their cell phones," said Autumn Miles.
They say the principal did call and leave a message about an hour and a half after the incident, but the parents are not happy about the way it was all handled.
"They're acting like it's no big deal. It is a big deal. There is a bullying problem at that school. The kids that are being bullied and beaten up , they're not really being protected," said Michael Miles.
"No cops were called, the cops weren't called into the situation until we called the police. Our kid has never been in trouble and we see this video. Imagine as a parent what goes through your mind when you see your kid being attacked like this," Mr. Miles said.
The Davenport School District says Superintendent Art Tate is "aware of the incident, but doesn't feel it is appropriate to watch the video or comment on it at this time," because he is part of the disciplinary process.
The district says it can't comment on what, if anything, has been done about the girls involved in the incident, as per district policy.
"My kid gets stomped by a gang of people, and it was a gang, a pre-planned assault and videotaped. They knew they were doing it, they turned on the videotape before they did it, and they're not doing anything about it. They don't think it's a big deal. It is a big deal," Mr. Miles said.