A pair of Florida teens seen in a social media video purposefully tripping and allegedly injuring a fellow classmate could be headed to court, as the parents of the victim have decided to press charges.
A shocking clip posted to video platform TikTok last month shows three students from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach jumping and dancing to the music in the background.
The two teens on the outside, who are white, jump once in tandem. When the third girl, who’s Black, jumps in the air, the other girls stick their feet out under her, causing her to fall. The assailants are seen laughing as the victim struggles to pick herself up from the floor.
It’s unclear when the video was first posted, but a school resource officer was alerted to the incident Jan. 31, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
The clip soon made its rounds to other social media sites, sparking outrage.
“They need to be charged and pay for medical expenses,” an Instagram user commented. “People need to be stopped getting away with this. This is sick.”
“That was clearly done on purpose!!!” another chimed in. “I hope that young lady is ok and the girl who tripped her should be expelled.”
The clip also sparked the creation of a Change.org petition calling for harsh punishments against the girls.
“Thousands more students are finding out about this incident by the second and thousands of more students are supporting the victim and want justice served,” reads the petition, which already has more than 46,000 signatures. “Please support this issue and sign the petition. It’s 2020. Racism and bullying need to be stopped.”
Daytona Beach Police are now investigating the incident. Authorities said initially the victim’s parents did not wish to press charges, but have since moved forward in charging the two teens with misdemeanor battery and cyberbullying.
“We investigated [and] disciplinary action has been taken,” department spokeswoman Kelly Schulz told the outlet, adding that a letter was sent home to parents Friday encouraging them to speak with their kids about the content they post online.
The school hasn’t named the students involved but social media users have published their names. The African-American student, who reportedly has special needs, remains unidentified.
Reports circulated online also claim the victim suffered a broken nose as a result of the incident and that the assailants were punished with in-school suspension; neither has been confirmed by school district officials. Police later said the victim didn’t suffer or report any injuries.
“Much of what has been put out on social media regarding this matter is factually incorrect,” the department said in a statement.
Authorities have since forwarded the charges to the state attorney’s office, where prosecutors will determine whether formal charges are filed.
Atlanta Black Star reached out to Seabreeze High School for comment and is awaiting response.