Video shows bus attack that left Pomona Middle School girl with broken nose
Family says school district didn't seek medical attention after girl who was repeatedly punched on school bus ride home earlier this month; teenage boy arrested and charged with assault.
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A 12-year-old Pomona Middle School seventh grader is recovering after what her family says was a violent assault on a school bus ride home earlier this month — leaving her with a broken nose.
News 12 has obtained exclusive video of the attack, along with photos showing the girl’s injuries.
The girl says the attack stemmed from an incident earlier in the day at school on March 3, when a student thought she was laughing at him after he spilled a drink during a presentation. She says he later confronted her on the bus.
“I’m like, what did I do? What did I do?” she told News 12.
The video, recorded by another student, shows the girl being repeatedly punched in the face while seated — as other students can be heard screaming. The attack then moves into the aisle, where she appears to try to block her face as the punches continue. Afterward, her face can be seen bloodied on the bus as other students react.
“He started grabbing me, and then he started punching me, and I was trying to block my face,” she said. “He started punching me in my nose. That’s when I started bleeding.”
Spring Valley police say an eighth-grade student was arrested this week and charged with assault in connection with the incident.
Her mother, Edeline, says she was at work in New Jersey when she received a call from the school around 7 p.m. — and was told the principal had driven her daughter home.
“I said, ‘Is everything OK?’ and she said, ‘Oh, there was a little incident that happened,’” she recalled.
She says she later saw video of the attack and was shocked.
“I was so upset. I was shaking,” she said. “I don’t send my daughter to school to get beat up by other people and then you guys don’t do nothing.”
The family’s attorney, Vince Sykes, is now questioning how the situation was handled.
“The principal takes no responsibility to call the police or to get the child medical attention. That is extraordinarily troubling,” he said.
Sykes alleges no ambulance was called and that police were not notified by the school after the assault.
“This is a very vicious beat down and a kid that needed immediate medical attention,” he said. “They did everything other than the simple things — call the police, call an ambulance.”
He also says the family has had little communication from the school since.
“The mother has not heard from the principal. She hasn’t gotten a call from anyone,” Sykes said. “That’s shocking.”
Edeline says she took her daughter to the hospital herself and contacted police, who responded there.
“They should’ve taken her to the hospital themselves,” she said.
She says she’s now speaking out so other parents are aware.
“As a parent, we send our kids to school to get an education — not to get bullied, not to get beat up,” she said
News 12 reached out to the East Ramapo Central School District. A representative initially said the district was unaware of any student arrest related to an incident on one of its buses, but later responded saying emergency care was given onboard the bus and that the district is cooperating with the investigation.
The family says the girl stayed home for several days while she recovered from the attack. They have hired an attorney and are seeking accountability to ensure the child's safety in school.
