Dublin High School student allegedly confronted by parent, attacked by teens
A Dublin High School student was injured following an incident where he was allegedly confronted by a parent before being assaulted by a group of teens and young adults, police said.
In a letter to the school community, principal Maureen Byrne said the attack took place after school on Friday.
"We are outraged that this happened on our campus. School must be a place where all feel safe and supportive," Byrne said.
Dublin Police said in a separate statement Tuesday afternoon that the 15-year-old male victim was first confronted by a school parent around 3:30 p.m. The victim retreated into the boys' locker room, followed by the parent and four unknown subjects.
****PRESS RELEASE**** pic.twitter.com/UpFbejLdia
— Dublin Police (@DublinCAPolice) August 27, 2024
"One of the dudes sucker punches me," the victim told KPIX. "I stand up; I start fighting back, and they all start jumping me."
The four subjects, who were wearing hoodies and ranging in age from 16 to 19, assaulted the victim until the fight was broken up.
According to the principal, football players and a coach aided in stopping the attack. School administrators, police and medical staff were called to the scene.
Police said the victim suffered non-life threatening injuries to his face and head. He was treated and released from a hospital a short time later.
The victim's mother told CBS News Bay Area that her son has a broken nose and concussion. She said that he would not return to school until the district can ensure his safety, and she is concerned about his future after he was jumped inside the locker room at Dublin High School.
She is even more concerned after police said another parent was involved in the attack.
"I just can't fathom how another parent can just bring bodily harm against another child and just get away with it," the victim's parent said.
A Dublin High student, a football player who did not want to reveal his name, said the victim was a teammate. He said the team was getting ready for team pictures when the attack took place.
"They just came in. It was like so fast too, it was like 10 seconds. They were just like beating him up and then they just ran out," the student told CBS News Bay Area. "He was like shoved into the lockers at first, and they all came in. They were all punching him and whatever. It was bad."
He said the victim was on the ground and bloodied by the time other members of the team broke up the fight.
"A bunch of people stepped in and like pushed them out and they ran. I pushed someone off. That was it," the student went on to say. "My parents were just like, 'How could your school be letting this happen? Your school is supposed to be a safe environment, and they need to do better.'"
The principal said police have "identified a number" of people involved in the attack but did not elaborate further. Surveillance video captured moments before and after the assault.
Investigators believe the assault was not a random incident. Officers said Tuesday that they were continuing to interview witnesses and collect video evidence to determine a motive and how the victim, subjects and parent knew each other.
In the letter, Byrne thanked public safety partners for their swift response to the incident. "We are working with the police to address this to the full extent of the law," she said.
Following the assault, the principal said the school would continue to have adults present in the locker room. The school has also locked hallways facing the parking lot.
Anyone who may have information about the incident is asked to call Dublin Police at 925-833-6670.