CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. – Parents are on edge after seeing a video showing a Virginia middle school student grabbing a chair and slamming it over a classmate's head Thursday afternoon.
The video captured the moment an eighth-grade student at Salem Church Middle School appeared to slowly approach another student before picking up the chair and hitting her over the head.
The mother of the victim contacted WTVR after seeing the report and said her daughter sustained minor head and neck injuries. She said her daughter remained out of school Friday and may potentially need an MRI on Monday.
The school was placed on lockdown as police were called to find the student.
One mother, who spoke with WTVR on condition of anonymity, said she was disturbed by the video.
"You hear the laughing in the background. You don’t hear people … saying, ‘What’s going on?’ You hear people laughing," she said. "I want the kids who think it’s funny to realize they are just as wrong and they are just as much wrong as the girl who did it."
The woman’s daughter, who was not involved in the assault, said she was shaken by what she witnessed.
The mother said several parents are furious about what happened because of previous alleged threats made by the student in the video.
"Yes, about a month in advance, the student who took the chair and hit the other student across the head with it told people she was going to 'F*** her up,'" she said.
But school administrators said that they were not unaware of any threats, including anything about the chair attack.
Officials said they acted promptly by contacting police, placing the school on lockdown and later sending a letter to parents about the incident.
However, the mother believes the incident is the result of continued bullying and harassment that has gone unchecked in the school.
"I’ve tried to go the correct route," she said. "I’ve tried talking to the administration. I talked to the school board. At this point, why keep talking when they are not doing anything. Something has to stop. Something has to change."
While school officials cannot comment on the specific disciplinary actions regarding the incident, officials said Chesterfield County Police are investigating.
The victim's mother said police told her the student who hit her daughter will be charged with misdemeanor assault and battery.
However, the mother questions whether the charges are severe enough given the brazenness of the attack.
