Kennedy High School: Sacramento mother calls for security changes after daughter's attack
SACRAMENTO — A Kennedy High School 11th grader is in recovery after being assaulted inside a classroom by an outside group that included at least two adults on Oct. 14.
The teen's mother, Jennifer, exclusively shared her concerns with CBS13 after she said her daughter was punched, pepper sprayed, and pinned up against the classroom wall in what is believed to be a targeted attack.
Jennifer said her daughter was the group's second attack, and her friend was attacked in a school hallway, then they continued into the classroom.
Sacramento City Unified School District spokesperson Al Goldberg told CBS13 in an emailed statement that the attack happened minutes before school got out on Thursday, and campus gates were opened to prepare for the flow of students exiting the campus. At this time, he said, a student summoned two adults to campus for the planned attack.
Jennifer said her daughter is traumatized and had to seek medical treatment for physical injuries. It's likely, she said, the teen also is mentally impacted due to the violent nature of the experience.
"I feel like, why do I bring her here if I'm not feeling secured about her safety? She's not protected here. I don't want her to come back," said Jennifer, who did not want her last name used because her daughter's attackers have not been identified by Sacramento Police.
"I don't understand why they thought that was OK to come attack a child," said Jennifer.
According to Jennifer, the confrontation likely started online the day before Thursday's attack.
Her daughter received threats from another student. Based on her daughter's recounting of what happened, the mother said she was in class and saw the girl coming toward her, so she stood in the back of the room to brace herself.
Once the physical assault began, two adults entered the classroom and joined in on the assault. Additionally, the teen was pepper sprayed, and the pepper spray also impacted multiple people in the classroom.
She is now demanding answers from Sacramento Police and the SCUSD leadership about changes that, she said, need to be made across the district to prevent an incident like this from happening again.
In an emailed statement to CBS13, a SCUSD spokesperson gave more details on potential security upgrades:
"The Sacramento City Unified School District is always looking for ways to adjust and improve our safety plans. We are exploring a series a short-term and long-term plans to further enhance student safety while continuing to make our schools the welcoming centers of learning they should be."
SPD confirmed five misdemeanor violations were given Thursday, but none were directly related to the assault. The attackers have not been identified.