A junior varsity soccer participant at Los Osos Excessive College was positioned in a chokehold and hit with a belt by two college students recognized as varsity gamers in a locker room assault captured on video and circulated on social media.
The video, which was pulled down from Instagram however obtained by the Southern California Information Group, exhibits the 16-year-old boy crying out in anguish whereas struggling in opposition to the chokehold utilized by one participant. A second participant, who’s shirtless, then walks over to the bench the place the boy is seated and slaps his legs with a belt.
The mom of the sufferer, Cassondra Childers of Rancho Cucamonga, recognized the second participant because the son of Los Osos Excessive College’s assistant principal of instruction, Jennifer McNatt. The 2 older gamers who allegedly attacked the 16-year-old are seniors whereas Childers’ son, a large receiver on the JV squad, is a junior, she mentioned.
The Southern California Information Group is withholding the title of the boy to stop additional bullying.
Responding to highschool officers who mentioned the boys concerned all thought-about the incident “horseplay,” the mom mentioned: “This wasn’t horseplay. He was clearly screaming. It’s heartbreaking.”
The assault, which occurred Oct. 11 following an early morning weightlifting session, was witnessed by not less than two different college students, who sat on a bench close to Childers’ son. Nevertheless, neither scholar intervened. The video doesn’t present any coaches or different adults within the locker room.
Mathew Holton, superintendent of the Chaffey Joint Union Excessive College District, mentioned in an e-mail Wednesday, Oct. 25, that the incident is deeply troubling and is being investigated.
“We spoke with all college students concerned within the video, in addition to their mother and father, coaches and different gamers,” Holton mentioned. “Throughout the investigation, the boys, together with the sufferer, indicated this was horseplay. Nonetheless, the college and district view this incident as hazing — which we don’t tolerate — and have taken applicable motion to self-discipline these concerned.”
Childers mentioned Los Osos college officers had her son notify her of the video Friday.
“On the time I wasn’t capable of get the video as a result of the college refused to share it with me as a result of one of many gamers was filmed in his underwear,” she mentioned. “Additionally they mentioned I couldn’t meet with the mother and father of the gamers concerned in order that I may see the video.”
Childers later obtained the video from one other supply and decided the matter extra severe than mere horseplay. “Seeing him getting choked and listening to him screaming confirmed that there was no taking part in happening,” she mentioned.
College officers advised Childers that two college students can be punished for the incident, however didn’t present extra data. Moreover, her son additionally was punished for horseplay and was prohibited from taking part in or attending his crew’s recreation Thursday, Oct. 19, in opposition to Colony Excessive College, she added.
Childers filed a report with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Division and a criticism with the Chaffey Joint Union Excessive College District.
She additionally met with Los Osos college officers, telling them the video was posted by soccer gamers on Instagram and complaining that she wasn’t promptly notified in regards to the assault.
“It’s throughout social media,” Childers advised college officers, in accordance with a 22-minute recording of the assembly obtained by the Southern California Information Group. “It’s humiliating to him on every kind of ranges. To know that somebody on workers simply watched (on video) her (McNatt’s) son hit my son with a belt. That’s a weapon. That’s loopy.”
The video has since been faraway from Instagram, in accordance with Los Osos officers.
Following the assembly, Jerome Rucker, vice principal of academic companies, mentioned McNatt was so upset at seeing her son within the video that she “threw up,” Childers mentioned.
Rucker declined to remark in regards to the assembly and McNatt didn’t reply to requests for remark.
College officers advised Childers they had been investigating the incident to find out why there have been no coaches or adults within the locker room. “I wasn’t joyful in any respect,” mentioned Childers, who’s dissatisfied with the college’s response. “How do I do know my son is protected on campus?”
The incident isn’t the primary time that Los Osos’ locker room has been the main target of controversy.
In 2022, former Los Osos assistant soccer coach David Riden pleaded responsible to putting in a hidden digital camera within the women locker room. Riden was convicted on three felony fees for possessing greater than 600 pictures of kid pornography and for secretly photographing minors. He was sentenced to 9 years and 4 months in state jail.
In the meantime, Childers’ son didn’t attend college this week as a result of incident, however plans to return on Monday. “He didn’t know tips on how to deal with it,” she mentioned. “However now he needs it to vanish and all the pieces to return to regular.”
