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School bus attack against Venezuelan refugee caught on camera
A mother is concerned that Katy ISD is not taking an incident involving an attack on her child seriously.
HOUSTON - The Katy Independent School District has opened a bullying investigation this week in connection with a fight on a school bus.
Nardiy Rojas says her 15-year-old daughter, Lourdes Carbajal, was attacked by a fellow Katy High School student two weeks ago. She expresses not feeling that she was taken seriously because it took district officials so long to begin the bullying investigation.
Rojas says the attacker was harassing Lourdes and her friends on the school bus the day of the incident. She adds Lourdes used strong language to ask the attacker what was wrong with her before the assault.
The mother adding Lourdes has been bullied by the same student for months, however, she says her daughter did not defend herself out of fear she would jeopardize her family’s asylum case. The family recently moved to Katy from Venezuela.
Rojas says her daughter Lourdes is now scared to go to school, afraid her attacker or her friends will try to go further.
Rojas says she tried to file charges against the attacker. However, she says the police tell her the Harris County District’s Office did not pursue charges because the Lourdes didn’t suffer broken bones or open wounds. The DA’s office tells FOX 26 they cannot comment because the case involves minors.
Jose Carbajal says the principal at Katy High School, at first, did not want to open a bullying investigation.
“He told me that that’s not enough reason to open a bullying case or something like that because that’s something that we don’t know if it’s going to happen [again],” Jose stated. “And, I told him that even if we don’t know it’s going to happen [again], we have to prevent it.”
A spokesperson for Katy ISD tells FOX 26, the district was unaware this was not the first time Lourdes had been bullied by the attacker.
The district added in a statement:
"The District is aware of the report concerning an allegation of an assault on a Katy ISD school bus. Katy ISD campus administration and police immediately investigated and administered disciplinary consequences pertaining to that report. While FERPA protects the privacy of students involved in both open and closed investigations, campus and District staff take great care in ensuring families are well-informed about policy and procedures. Any concerns families have about investigations should be directed to their campus, school district or Katy ISD police.
With that said, the safety and well-being of all Katy ISD students is of the upmost importance on every one of the District’s campuses. Any behaviors that may threaten the safety of any child are not tolerated. As such, students determined to be involved in such activity face swift disciplinary consequences in accordance with the Katy ISD Discipline Management, Student Code of Conduct and law enforcement."
Lourdes’ family says the attacker was suspended until January but will then go back to the same school and ride the same bus. The Katy ISD cannot confirm or deny that claim tbecause of privacy laws.