Mother of Dublin High student confronted by parent and attacked by teens demands answers
An East Bay mother is demanding action from the school district after her son was confronted by a parent before being attacked by a group of older teens inside the Dublin High School locker room last week.
Police said a Dublin High parent was in a confrontation with the freshman football player before a group of teens barged into the locker room after school Friday and assaulted the victim.
In a letter to families in the school community, principal Maureen Byrne said she and school officials "are outraged that this happened on our campus. School must be a place where all feel safe and supportive."
Dublin Police Services said in a separate statement Tuesday afternoon that the male victim was first confronted by a school parent around 3:30 p.m. The victim retreated into the boys' locker room and was followed by the parent and four unknown subjects who were approximately 16 to 19 years of age.
The victim, identified as 14-year-old Dasanni Barfield, is now recovering from a broken nose and a concussion. His mother Cherie Barfield is calling on the school to keep students safe on campus.
Cherie Barfield and her son are both shaken up and concerned for his future at Dublin High after the attack, as they explained during an interview with CBS News Bay Area Tuesday.
Dasanni said he was standing outside the locker room when the Dublin High School parent, who he said was the mother of a student, confronted him.
"So while I'm outside, the mother says which one of you...she calls..." Dasanni started saying before trailing off.
"'N---ers.' Say what she said," interjected Cherie Barfield.
"She called us that. She asked like that, with that word," Dasanni added.
"He just doesn't want to say the word. That's how the mother approached him." said his mother. "It's on the surveillance film."
"Yeah. But once she said that, the two people next to me, they get up and they scattered," Desanni continued. "So she already knows it's me. So when she says that, all I do is walk away. I wasn't going to try to argue with her."
Desanni said he also saw four bigger people behind the mother approaching him and retreated to the locker room. The actual assault followed the confrontation.
"These guys come into the locker room and ask, 'Are you Dasanni? Are you Dasanni?' One of the dudes sucker punches me. I stand up, I start fighting back and they all start jumping me," he explained.
"I'm hurting for him because I don't know how it's going to affect him lifelong," his mother said. "The trauma that ensued."
She was especially concerned that a Dublin High parent was involved in the attack, which police confirmed.
"I just can't fathom how another parent can just bring bodily harm against another child. And just get away with it," she said.
One of Dasanni's teammates was among those who rushed in to stop the attack.
The concerned mother said the fact that the people who carried out the attack could get into the school so easily has her questioning the safety of others and demanding action from school leaders.
"I just want my son to be safe. I want all kids to be safe in this community," she said. "We live here. We started a restaurant here to bring this community together."
Cherie said she wants to preserve Desanni's dreams of playing football, but he already won't be able to play in his first game as a freshman.
"Football has been his everything since he was seven. And for him not to be able to play in his starting game...I just wish I could ease everything for him, but I can't," she said.
Cherie also was upset with the school for not communicating with her about the incident promptly and is demanding answers from administrators.
"I just don't appreciate how Dublin [High] did not contact us and how they've been trying to cover up this whole story. I feel like somebody dropped the ball. Somebody dropped the ball and a child was hurt," she said. "And we just want answers. We want justice."
On Sept. 6, Dublin police confirmed they arrested two teenage suspects in connection with the assault.
Dublin Police Services said school resource officers were continuing to interview witnesses and collect video evidence to determine a motive and how the victim, suspect, and Dublin High School parent know each other.