Newburgh mom calls for more transparency in schools, bail reform changes after attack on son

A Newburgh mom is calling for more transparency in schools and changes to bail reform after her son was beaten and pistol-whipped while walking home from school.

News 12 Staff

Dec 6, 2021, 10:47 PM

Updated 1,036 days ago

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WARNING: Some of this video may be graphic to some
A Newburgh mom is calling for more transparency in schools and changes to bail reform after her son was beaten and pistol-whipped while walking home from school.
Life changed in an instant for the Newburgh boy in October when he was beaten by two teens on his way home from school.
Since then, police arrested a 16-year-old and a 19-year-old who attacked the Newburgh Free Academy student, but both are out without bail.
Tanae Gates, the 16-year-old victim's mom, says the teens involved got a slap on the wrist because of bail reform while her child continues to suffer.
Gates is not sure if her son's classmate who was charged is back in school or ever faced disciplinary action because of privacy policies.
"It's terrible. It's a slap in the face. Not only do I feel the school failed my son, but I feel like the justice system failed my son," says Gates.
The family's apartment is now both home and school for the teen. His mom says he won't go back to Newburgh Free Academy until she feels it's safe for him to return.
Just last week, two teens were assaulted in the hallway of Newburgh Free Academy Main by four people after a student let them in.
"They couldn't even protect those kids, so who's to say something else can't happen," says Gates.
The district is tightening up security this week, but Gates says it's a knee-jerk reaction and not enough.
She wants policies and bail reform changed and says victims and their families should come first.
"No child deserves what happened to my son," says Gates.