A mother and daughter are speaking out after they said the 13-year-old was attacked in a San Jose school and then discriminated against by administrators.
Guadalupe Enriquez suffered a concussion and several injuries on her back after she said four girls attacked her at Alpha Blanca Alvarado School.
“I couldn’t defend myself and even though the beating took minutes, it felt like an eternity,” she said.
It all happened on March 2. She said she was confronted by girls she’s never met before and says administrators forced her to apologize afterward.
The teen said she felt humiliated. She said it felt unjust, but she apologized, and when she got back in class she was nauseous, dizzy and had a headache.
“When I picked her up, she was shaking,” said Enriquez’s mother Maria Del Carmen.
She said nobody told her her daughter had been attacked.
She decided to rush her to the hospital and that’s when they learned about the concussion and was advised to make a police report.
Del Carmen said she admits that as an immigrant, she was afraid. But as a mother, she realized it wasn’t fair and decided to go back to school for answers.
The mother said she was told that her daughter was never forced to apologize and that it was all a misunderstanding because Enriquez didn’t understand English.
Both claim Enriquez understands the language perfectly and administrators used the family’s cultural background to cover up their mistakes.
In a statement, Alpha Public Schools wrote in part, “In this instance, our policy and procedures to support students in a challenging moment were followed. This included quickly addressing the students involved, working with families to inform them of the incident and any pertinent follow up, as well as continuing to offer support, which includes access to our mental health counselors … We strive to create an environment that’s welcoming and inclusive of our families.”
A statement the family doesn’t believe has been followed through.
Since the attack, Enriquez says the cyberbullying has been nonstop and she believes her life will never be the same.
Source: NBC Bay Area